Micro of the Macro

Down by the Creek

*All photos in this post were taken in or near the Wind River Range of Wyoming*

I have always been irresistibly drawn to water, particularly creeks, streams, and brooks. While road tripping, I’ve stopped to photograph them more than any other feature in Nature. Their beauty can be breathtaking, nestled beside a mountain, surrounded by trees and wildflowers. And the sound of the water running over the stones in the creek bed is one of the most soothing I know. In fact, it’s the white noise I use to lull me to sleep each night.

Looking at a topographical map, the myriads of little creeks in the US look like a diagram of human capillaries, and are similar in that they also transport oxygen and other nutrients. Only after spending time in the Southwest did I learn that in much of the desert, trees can be found only where water runs through the land. That may seem obvious, but it never occurred to me when I was living full-time on the East Coast of the US, where trees are much more abundant.

I’ve heard many stories about funny happenings at creeks, and I have one to share. Years ago, I met a new friend from Texas at a hostel in Northern New Mexico. We enjoyed spending time under some ancient trees that shade a creek running behind the village’s few merchants. We once bought a bottle of wine to share on the edge of the water and took it out of the bag to realize we had no way of opening it. There was a bar a short walk away, so I strolled inside and asked the bartender, whom we had befriended, to lend us a corkscrew. Back by the creek, we tried in every way known to man to get that cork out of the bottle, but couldn’t get it to budge. (If anyone was watching, I can imagine what a belly laugh they had!) Embarrassed, we took the wine and the cork screw into the bartender who smirked while opening it for us. We laughed at ourselves the whole time we were drinking it.

On a more serious note, there is a little stream I crossed at least twice each day for a month when I did a work-study program at Esalen Holistic Institute in Big Sur, California. It was canopied by trees and had a small wooden foot path. I often passed someone meditating beside it on my way to or from classes or my work in the kitchen. It is one of the most peaceful places I’ve known.

In Eastern Nevada, I once camped at Great Basin National Park. I arrived early enough during the week to have my pick of campsites, and chose one with a brook running through the back. I set up my tent close enough that I could hear the water babbling at night. It is by far my favorite-ever campsite.

The unique beauty of Sedona, Arizona, is magnified by Oak Creek, a canyon stream that runs through much of town. West Fork, a hike mentioned in my post Red Rocks on the Water, is among the area’s 400 miles of trails. It’s very popular, especially in Spring and Fall, due to the many wildflowers and changing leaves that flank the creek, which the trail crosses many times. Fallen logs and small boulders form the paths across the water, and can be quite the challenge. But the water is pretty shallow for the distance of the hike, and the surrounding red cliffs and colored stones on the creek bed are gasp-worthy. So what if you get your feet wet!

The sights and sounds of creeks, streams, and brooks bring me joy, entertainment, and peace. And I’m certain I’m not the only one. Do you have similar stories that you’re willing to share?

Blessings from the Creek,

Lisa

The content of this article is for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified health care professional before acting on any information presented herein. Any statements about the possible health benefits of any subject discussed have not been evaluated by medical professionals or the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness.

Essential Oils: A Primer

*Rose oil is one of the best for anti-aging*

If you’re like me, you’ve been using essential oils for as long as you can remember without a clear understanding of how they work. Over the years, I’ve read a little about them here and there and been inspired to try them for various issues. The more I’ve used them and learned about them, the more I appreciate them. Finally, I’ve taken the time to get a better understanding of the how and the why.

I find their history fascinating. This write-up from The Essential Oils Academy shares from the beginning of recorded history, the plant kingdom has provided powerful extracts and essences that have been prized for their beauty-enhancing, medicinal, spiritual, aromatic, and therapeutic values. There is evidence of plant elixir use in Egypt, Ancient Greece, and past- & present-day India, where they are a remedial element of Ayurveda. You will find mention of them in the Bible. They have even been utilized by physicians through the ages to treat soldiers during wartime. And now in Europe and North America, their use is widespread.

*Oregano oil is a powerful household cleaner & immune booster*

If you’ll remember, in my post For the Love of Trees, I shared that plants emit an abundance of chemicals that benefit themselves as well as animals, including us. Essential oils are a condensation of these phytochemicals as a result of distillation. Because so much plant material is required to make them, the oils are super-concentrated, strong medicine. (And sometimes quite pricey.)

Essential oils are used in all kinds of products, from cleaners to insect repellants, body lotions, and face creams. But even when we don’t apply the oils directly, their aromas can have profound impacts.

*Essential oils of lemon & lime heighten mood*

Years ago, I remember walking into a casino in Las Vegas and realizing I was being drenched in aromatherapy. I read up on it, and learned that casinos began using these scents to increase profits in 1991. Presently, every spot on the Las Vegas Strip has a proprietary scent that is constantly emitted from their ventilation system. Scent marketing is now a multi-million dollar industry, also used in medical offices, retail stores, and sports stadiums to help us remember our visits as pleasant ones, encouraging our return.

How can the scent of these plant oils have such strong effects? I was curious, too. In The Ultimate Guide to Aromatherapy, Jade Shutes and Amy Galper elucidate: the olfactory tract sends nerve impulses to the limbic system, including the heavily-innervated amygdala. The role of the amygdala in emotion, memory, and autonomic control directly ties olfaction to these primordial functions and adds complexity to the odor perceptual experience, they write. That explains why scents from the past can take us back. (For more on the power of smell, check out my post Smellscapes.)

*There are a number of essential oils made from conifer trees*, *and many have analgesic effects*

The book is filled with information on specific oils and their benefits. Many are anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging. In my experience, a whiff of lavender oil can help with sleep. A couple drops of peppermint oil on the hairline gets rid of headaches, and rubbed onto muscles, it eliminates or reduces pain. I’ve also found diffusing eucalyptus while showering helps with a stuffy nose. But that’s just scratching the surface. There are oils used for healing wounds & various skin afflictions, reducing anxiety, increasing alertness, and helping with nausea. (I would suggest adding the oils to an unscented lotion or carrier oil for application, doing a test patch before applying liberally, and reading up on possible effects on children and pets prior to using. Also, make sure you’re purchasing oils that are organic if possible & sustainably-sourced.)

The little bit of digging I’ve done on essential oils has helped me to understand just how they have helped me through the years. I hope the information I’ve shared encourages you to try these phytochemical powerhouses, yet another of Nature’s gifts to us, in a variety of ways.

Blessings from the Plant World,

Lisa

Wildflowers: Resilience, Beauty and Grace

*The Mesa in northern New Mexico, with the foothills of the Rocky Mountains & a Buddhist temple in the background*

I must have flowers, always, and always. ~Claude Monet

I first fell in love with wildflowers on a trip to Taos, New Mexico. The first few times I visited, drought conditions prevailed, and I remember hand-written signs hanging all over my little hostel encouraging water conservation. But a couple years later, the drought ended, and I returned to discover a profusion of wildflowers in the northern part of the state: along roadways, in expansive fields, and surrounding rivers & canyons. It was unlike anything I’d ever witnessed, and my deep appreciation for these beauties was born.

*Near Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado*

Since that time, I have become a seeker of wildflowers. Anywhere I travel now, I look for them, even in small patches. I believe their resilience and willingness to tenderly reveal themselves after sometimes years of drought is a spiritual act, one that we can reflect on and learn from.

Where flowers bloom so does hope. ~Lady Bird Johnson

*On a hiking trail inside Joshua Tree National Park in California*

Not only do wildflowers delight our senses, they serve practical purposes as well. According to an article from the US Forest Service website, wildflowers support entire ecosystems for pollinators, birds, and small animals. Butterflies and other insects, small birds, and animals depend on seeds, nectar, and pollen for their food supply and life support system.

*Lupine among the aspens, alongside Kachina Trail in Northern Arizona*

Like many parts of the Southwest, Northern Arizona is often strewn with wildflowers, especially during monsoon season. An article from Mother Earth News, The Benefits of Growing Wildflowers, explains Wildflowers are as much the heartbeat of our planet as the oceans. All living creatures interact with wildflowers whether they know it or not. For 130 million years, wildflowers have blessed the earth with their amazing skill sets and stunning beauty. They freely bestow upon us a grace that helps sustain all of life. Therefore, planting native species, the article goes on to say, is most advantageous.

*In the Mojave Desert, Southern California*

The Amen of nature is always a flower. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Wildflowers are beautiful and beneficial miracles of Nature. They help ensure the survival of pollinators, and therefore, humans. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude for their willingness to reveal their tender beauty, sometimes after years of being dormant, in an effort to help sustain life on our planet.

*On the coast of Big Sur, California, with a very vocal little bird!*

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy to have such things about us. ~Iris Murdoch

Wildflower Blessings,

Lisa

The original version of this post was one of my most-liked from 2020. Thanks for (re)reading! 🌞

Next Thursday, September 15th, Marsha from Always Write and I are co-hosting a blogger meet-up at a restaurant in Mayer, Arizona, near Prescott Valley. If you can meet us for lunch (& lots of fun!) please RSVP to one of us. Hope to see you there!

5 Extraordinary Benefits of Going for a Walk

*Walking along Coastal Maine under overcast skies*

For years, I’ve read about the many advantages of walking, and I’m sure you have, too. Among its plethora of benefits, it improves endurance, helps with hydration, burns calories, increases longevity, and reduces the risk of many chronic illnesses. It’s a great activity to continue into advanced age, or to incorporate into any work-out routine. And recently, I discovered it has some unusual perks that I want to share with you.

*Strolling among waterfalls in Upstate New York*

It helps our skin look younger. A study from Bispebjerg Hospital in Denmark found that exercise, including regular walking, stimulates collagen and elastin production and improves skin’s thickness. These benefits work together to make skin more wrinkle-resistant.
It helps curb our desire for sweets. From this Harvard Health write-up: research confirms that walking can reduce cravings and intake of a variety of sugary snacks. A great reason to stroll after dinner!
It gets us out of worrisome thinking patterns. In his book In Praise of Walking: A New Scientific Exploration, renowned Dublin neuroscientist Shane O’Mara writes (walking) sets our thoughts free. Further, he says it is a holistic activity. Every aspect of it aids every aspect of one’s being, including our disposition.
It stokes the fires of creativity. Stanford University research shows that creativity improves while a person is walking and shortly thereafter. Maybe that’s the reason some of us pace when we’re trying to work out a problem.
It can become your daily meditation. For the first few minutes, take it slow and be mindful of every step, each pebble underfoot, and the presence of the sun’s warmth on your face. For more info on walking meditations, check out this link from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.

*Meditative walk on a beach in South Carolina*

Of course, ambling alongside a creek, in a forest, canyon, or amongst wildflowers multiplies these benefits and adds many others. But you knew that already!

Now you have even more reasons to take that daily walk. The advantages above assist us in reaching greater potential. So what are you waiting for?!

*View of the Atlantic Ocean & the South Florida coast at the end of a long pier walk*

Blessings for Happy Strolls,

Lisa

On Thursday, September 15th, Marsha from Always Write and I are co-hosting a blogger meet-up at a restaurant in Mayer, Arizona, near Prescott Valley. If you can meet us for lunch (& lots of fun!) please RSVP to one of us. Hope to see you there!

Adieu, Covid Weight

Over the past 2 1/2 years, our lives have changed dramatically. We’ve been subject to higher levels of stress & fear, experienced unprecedented loss, and spent more time at home. In this post, I shared that internet searches for weight loss info increased significantly just months after covid became prevalent, at the same time sales of comfort foods escalated. I think many of us have gained a few pounds since first learning of covid-19, and I am no exception.

As we get older, biological changes can make it more difficult for us to lose weight, as you may well know. That is a motivating factor for me to quickly eliminate my covid weight. And I want to share with you the steps I am taking, in case you’d like to make the journey with me. (These are in addition to caring for my gut’s microbiome, as detailed in my post Little-Known Weight Loss Strategies.)

*Izzy maintains her trim figure by being very active.* (*And she loves her box collection!*)

I’m utilizing Ayurveda to a greater extent. (To learn some basics of Ayurveda, the world’s oldest healing tradition, check out this post.) Due to having a lot of Pitta (fire) in my constitution, I’ve started taking an Ayurvedic herb called amla & eating more bitter foods, both of which act to cool body heat and help with detoxification, a necessary component of weight loss due to toxins being stored in fat.
I am eating less at a slower pace. Chewing longer has become a focus. And when I first get the slightest indication I’m full, I stop eating. Hara hachi bu, a Confucian teaching meaning eat til you’re 80% full, is the principle I’m utilizing here. It’s a big change for me to be fully present while eating, because I’ve always eaten while doing other things.
I am eating all meals within a 7 – 8 hour window. Eating in this manner, i.e., between the hours of 10 am & 6 pm, gives ample time for proper digestion before I go to bed. This allows my energies to be directed to relaxation, brain drain, and other biological activities that are meant to occur during sleep. This window also works to allow for autophagy, a process whereby old, damaged, & diseased cells are destroyed, which serves not only weight loss but also overall health.
I am more active. In addition to my workout routine, I am cleaning closets, organizing cabinets, pulling weeds, trying new recipes, having more fun with my kitty, and being more social. Staying busy with these activities burns extra calories & helps me sit less. (As much as I love reading, watching documentaries, and spending time on my laptop, too much sedentary time can easily lead to weight gain and other unhappy consequences.) And according to data from Blue Zones, the longest-lived populations in the world, regular activity throughout our lives is a key to maintaining a leaner build.
I am getting more rest. Research shows that insufficient sleep triggers brain chemicals that induce hunger. In his book The Healer Within: Using Traditional Chinese Techniques to Release Your Body’s Own Medicine, Dr. Roger Jahnke shares a method that knocks me right out when I’m having a hard time falling asleep. A few short minutes spent massaging my ears, hands, & feet transports me to dreamland!

I am counting on these practices to boost my weight loss efforts. I hope they will work for you, too. May our collective future hold much less stress, fear, and restriction. And may we experience it without carrying those pesky covid pounds!

Blessings for Losing the Excess,

Lisa

*She’s always worn out at the end of the day.*

Quick & Easy Monsoon Pasta

Rain is falling steadily outside and has been for hours. The temperature has dropped about 15 degrees since it started and I’m certain there’s a touch of Fall in the air. It’s time for a simple but warm & filling pasta dish.

I came up with this formula years ago. The inspiration came from a recipe in an old cookbook that involved both boiling and sautéing vegetables. Because I’m always looking for ways to minimize cleanup, this delicious dish came into being.

The pine nuts were a late addition to the recipe. I really like the crunch they contribute. Plus, they are rich in vitamin E, healthy fats, essential minerals, and B vitamins.

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, and if you’re a regular reader, you’ll know I often touch on the advantages of the cabbage family. In last week’s post, I shared how they play a huge role in our anti-aging efforts. In my Glazed Autumn Bake recipe, I mentioned the fact that the more crucifers you eat, the more you benefit, whereas most veggies have a ceiling. And my post on Allergies reveals they contain quercetin, a pigment with anti-allergic functions.

The olive oil in this recipe is not heated, so its health-giving properties are higher than oil that is used to sauté. And the touch of crushed red pepper adds a pungent quality that stimulates circulation and really brings all the flavors together.

Enough talk, let’s get on with the recipe!

Yield: 3 – 4 servings

Ingredients (use organic or non-GMO whenever possible)
6 heaping tbsp almond meal
1 heaping tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt (or more to taste)
————————————————————-
1/4 cup pine nuts
10 oz pasta
2 medium potatoes, unpeeled, diced small
1 large head broccoli, cut into medium florets
mineral salt to taste
1 – 2 tbsp good olive oil
crushed red pepper to taste
parmesan sub as desired (recipe below)

Directions
Prepare the vegan parmesan by combining almond meal, nutritional yeast, lemon zest, & salt in a small bowl and mix well. Taste for salt, adding more if necessary.

Toast the pine nuts in your pasta pot over medium heat for just a few minutes, tossing with a wooden spoon, until most of them have a nice tan color. (Don’t walk away from them; they can go from having no tan to being burnt very quickly!) Set aside.

Carefully wipe out the pot (remembering it’s hot) and add a good amount of water – maybe 3 cups more than if you were cooking pasta only. Salt the water, cover the pot, & bring to a boil. Add the pasta, setting your timer a for few minutes longer than usual. (For example, my gluten-free pasta normally takes 12 minutes, so I set the timer for 15 minutes.) At about 2/3 of the way through cooking (so, at the 10-minute mark for my example), add the potatoes. Three minutes later, add the broccoli. Boil until the pasta & broccoli are al dente and the potatoes are just soft. Taste all 3 for salt, adding more to taste. Drain.

Divide the pasta and veggies between bowls. To each, add a drizzle of olive oil, a bit of crushed red pepper, and the parm sub to taste. Enjoy, both the meal and the light clean-up!

I won’t be around for comments this week, but I look forward to catching up with you next week! Have a great weekend! 😊

6 Ways to Reverse Aging

*Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, Arizona*

Finally, the search is over: the fountain of youth has been discovered.

As much as some of us would like to, we cannot reduce our chronological age, the number of years we’ve been on the planet. But our biological age, also called our functional age, is determined by lifestyle and can be defined as the age your body acts, according to a Healthline article. If you’re a 28-year-old who doesn’t exercise, eats high-fat foods, and has smoked for the last 10 years, it’s likely you have a biological age of greater than 28 years, the document explains. And the opposite is true as well: if you’re a 60 year old who stays active, physically and mentally, eats and drinks in a way that benefits your overall health, and gets plentiful rest, your biological age could be 40- or 50-something.

A Pub Med research manuscript elucidates: Key hallmarks of biological aging have been defined by a feed forward loop, where cellular damage accumulation is progressive and ongoing over the lifespan. This gradual accumulation of damage results in alterations to molecular machinery and the eventual failure of cells to perform their functions. However, the aging biology mechanics are modifiable through lifestyle interventions.

*Look closely & you’ll see a myriad of saguaro cacti*

What are some of these lifestyle interventions? I’ll share 6 biggies.

Get adequate rest. You know how poorly a bad night’s sleep can cause you to feel. Research is accumulating on sleep’s effects on long term health & longevity. In fact, a National Institute of Health paper indicates sleeping 5 or fewer hours per night is consistently associated with increased risk for premature development and progression of age-related conditions (e.g., type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease.)
Exercise regularly. This includes stretching for fascia support, cardio for maintaining a healthy heart & weight, strengthening to avoid muscle mass loss & help keep bones strong, and balancing for protection from falls. Becoming inactive, which many of us inadvertently do as we get older, can increase the aging process. (See my post Why Is Sitting the New Smoking? for more on that.)
Eat more broccoli. As well as Brussel sprouts, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, and other cruciferous veggies. They are rich in sulfur compounds that increase production of glutathione, a super-antioxidant that our bodies naturally produce less of as we age. This powerful free radical scavenger slows the aging process by assisting with immune function, cognitive ability, skin elasticity, and inflammation, this Frontline Alternative write-up sets forth.
Consume fewer processed foods and drinks. A Frontiers in Pharmacology report warns us that a diet with low amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, and nuts, and an excess of foods such as ultra-processed grains and sugar-sweetened beverages is the leading contributor to chronic disease risk. And chronic diseases can result in daily pain and lethargy.
Take care of your brain. By taking on new challenges, whether traveling, doing puzzles, picking up a new hobby, or learning a foreign language, your brain continues to form new synapses. And make good hydration a priority; a study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience established there is a direct link between chronic dehydration and the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Spend time with friends & favorite family members. A US News & World Report article points out that the number of social interactions in a day improves life expectancy, even in people with heart disease and colon cancer. Sharing time with others can increase our tally of smiles and laughter, causing us to feel more vibrant.

Ok, so you may never be a youngster again chronologically speaking, but your body can act like one. It’s all a matter of tapping into the fountain of youth via healthy lifestyle choices. And I believe that’s a worthy endeavor, wouldn’t you agree?

Blessings for Reversed Aging,

Lisa

I won’t be around for comments the next couple weeks, but I look forward to catching up with you afterwards! 🌞

Tough Love

*All photos were taken inside Yosemite National Park in California before devastating wildfires began frequenting the area*.

Warning: this is not my typical post. It may be hard to read. It was certainly difficult to write. I don’t want to believe what I’m about to share. But I do. I must. We all must.

Global warming is changing us. We occasionally recognize it in the form of severe flooding, a killer heat wave, or a hurricane that is amongst the largest, strongest & most devastating we’ve seen. But we are quickly headed toward a time in which these and other climate-related catastrophes will be the norm. Because our civilization is doing so much harm so fast, the bits and pieces of news we receive about it are often outdated. And, as for the 2016 Paris Agreement’s goal of maintaining a global temperature of less than 2 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels, we are already over 1 degree warmer. More damage has been done over the past 30 years than in all the rest of humanity’s history.

As human beings, we are vulnerable to confusing the unprecedented with the improbable. In our everyday experience, if something has never happened before, we are generally safe in assuming it is not going to happen in the future, but the exceptions can kill you. Climate change is one of those exceptions. ~Al Gore, Former US Vice-President & Environmentalist

David Wallace-Wells is a journalist who has written extensively on climate change for New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Guardian, and authored the book The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming, published in 2019. To summarize some of the ideas in his book, if your primary concern is rising sea levels brought about by the melting of the polar ice caps, you should know that there are much more damaging effects in store. All that Arctic ice has kept who-knows-how-much carbon, the main driver of global warming, out of our atmosphere for thousands of years. It has also served to contain bygone diseases, keeping them dormant. Less ice means less reflection of the sun, contributing to even more heat. Increased temperatures can result in more frequent drought, full desertification of some areas, and decreased crop production. Fossil fuel particulate pollution will further contaminate our air & waters. Due to large swathes of land becoming uninhabitable from rising sea levels and sweltering heat, millions may be forced to migrate. And the likelihood these challenges will culminate in increased conflict, both locally and worldwide, is very good. What’s more, continued warming can make the whole of the earth inhospitable to humans, bringing us to extinction.

According to a recent policy paper from Australia’s Breakthrough – National Centre for Climate Restoration, there’s a good chance society could collapse as soon as 2050 if serious mitigation actions aren’t taken in the next decade (meaning prior to 2030.) Climate scientists are known to consistently underestimate the severity of what is actually happening, the paper warns.

In a short TED talk, David Wallace-Wells suggests paradigm-changing solutions. He explains science isn’t stopping us from taking action, and neither is technology. We have the tools we need today to begin. Of course, we also have the tools we need to end global poverty, epidemic disease, and the abuse of women as well. Which is why more than new tools, we need a new politics, a way of overcoming all those human obstacles — our culture, our economics, our status quo bias, our disinterest in taking seriously anything that really scares us. Our shortsightedness. Our sense of self-interest. And the selfishness of the world’s rich and powerful who have the least incentive to change anything.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. ~Margaret Mead, Cultural Anthropologist

So, what can you and I do? First of all, we can stop hiding behind the idea that we’re helpless. Examine your choices around activities like eating, shopping, & vacationing, and make changes in ways, big & small, that will result in the wealthy elite benefiting less from your dollars. Don’t vote for political candidates who deny climate change or support environmentally unfriendly industries. If you must continue to eat meat, eat less of it, and buy only from companies that don’t utilize factory farms. Plant more trees, flowers, & shrubs, and grow your own food. Contribute your time or money to environmental causes. Learn & practice indigenous ways. Challenge your family to discover ways to live more sustainably. Strike up tough conversations about global warming with friends. Teach your children and grandchildren the importance of living in a manner that embraces all of life. Write letters to your congress person, or the editor of your newspaper or favorite newsletter. Blog about it. Bring it up on Facebook and Twitter. Share this write-up.

Anything else you’re interested in is not going to happen if you can’t breathe the air or drink the water. Don’t sit this one out. Do something. ~Carl Sagan

If you’ve read this entire post, congratulations and thank you. It’s difficult to read about things that make us uncomfortable. But the truth of these impending dangers can no longer be ignored, denied, or sugar-coated. Some of the negative effects of global warming are already upon us. Our individual lives and our society will suffer dramatically in upcoming years if we don’t begin to do things differently.

Blessings for Speedy Change,

Lisa

What Do You Mean “Holistic?”

*I am saddened by the increase in wildfires ravaging our National Parks. These photos are from King’s Canyon in California’s Sierra Nevada.*

If you are a tag reader like I am, you may have noticed all my posts include the word holistic. You may understand the concept, but my idea of it encompasses more than what’s normally considered. For that reason, I’d like to take the opportunity to explain.

First, I want to share a definition from the American Holistic Nurses Association: Holistic health is an approach to life where the whole person is valued. Rather than focusing on specific parts, holistic health considers the person’s body, thoughts, emotions, spirit and interaction with others and the environment.

All of our earliest healing traditions are holistic, including Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Traditional European Medicine. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, asserted, It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has. Modern Western Medicine began as holistic, but now, the majority of its practices involve addressing particular issues with little regard for the whole person. This tendency to compartmentalize helps explain the long list of side effects often associated with surgeries and medications.

There are some holistic therapies practiced in the US. They include acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology, massage, cupping, chiropractic care, and aromatherapy. Even yoga and Tai Chi can be added to the list, making you your own practitioner. And meditation is a holistic therapy that can get you in touch with the very ground of your being.

The American-born theoretical physicist David Bohm referred to his body as a microcosm of the macrocosm. (Hmmmmm, where have I heard that phrase?) In his book Wholeness and the Implicate Order, he writes, We must learn to view everything as part of Undivided Wholeness in Flowing Movement. I really like that idea.

The idea of interdependence plays a starring role in this philosophy. (Read more on that in this post.) The health of everything in the human body, mind, and spirit is dependent on the condition of the whole. Our interactions with and the well being of our Primal Mother are a huge part of that. Some examples: we can become depressed with too little exposure to Nature. Our lungs can suffer from breathing toxic air. The liver can become stressed when our water is infused with chemicals. Our gut’s lining & microbiome can become dysfunctional as a result of eating foods that are grown from lab-modified seeds in nutrient-poor soils. And due to our body’s internal interdependence, these health issues affect other organs, our blood, nervous system, energy levels, and attitude.

Making strides toward a more holistic lifestyle is important for all of us, both individually and collectively. These are a few of my suggestions:

Ask for alternatives or adjuncts to medications or procedures. If your physician is not open to – or knowledgeable of – natural approaches, maybe look for a new one.
Choose organic, non-GMO, fair-trade, & sustainable foods. Entire forests are being destroyed for the purpose of producing the palm oil found in peanut butter and other foods. (Alliteration unintended.) Don’t buy it unless the label indicates it’s sustainably grown.
Avoid single-use plastics. If not recycled, which is common, plastic can stay in a landfill more than 100 years before decomposing. If you purchase bottled water, buy it in glass or 2.5 gallon containers. Better yet, take your own containers into a refill station each week. And when you shop, use your own bags.
Stay away from unethical investing. If you buy stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and the like, let your investment advisor (IA) know that you are interested only in ethical investments. For example, you don’t want to put money into companies that exploit poor populations by paying pennies a day for labor (more unintended alliteration) or “benefit” from environmental destruction. If your IA is ignorant of such practices (or claims to be) find one who is willing to make these concerns a priority.

In general, I believe living holistically boils down to this: practicing what best serves your life while also choosing to do the right thing for the whole. In your process of making daily decisions, keep in mind our undivided wholeness, upon which we are all dependent for long, healthy, happy lives.

Holistic Blessings,

Lisa

5 Jewels of Imagination

*All images display the imaginative work of wind and rain on sandstone inside Antelope Canyon*

I’m just finishing the book Beauty: The Invisible Embrace, by John O’Donohue, who was an Irish poet, author, priest, philosopher, and environmental activist. His writings contain some of the most elegant, soul-stirring, thought-provoking prose I’ve read. It’s hard to believe I’m just now reading him for the first time.

The human soul is hungry for beauty; we seek it everywhere – in landscape, music, art, clothes, furniture, gardening, companionship, love, religion and in ourselves. When we experience the Beautiful, there is a sense of homecoming. We feel most alive in the presence of the Beautiful for it meets the needs of our soul. ~John O’Donohue

For me, this book is like none other. I struggled to get through the first few chapters because I kept thinking about what I was reading as I was reading it. That’s a lovely way to explain it. Ohhhh, what a beautiful line! Hmmmm, I’ve never thought of that . . . I would catch myself time after time, lost in thought with my eyes still moving across the page, with no clue of what I just read. It was a challenge to stick with the reading until I got to the end of a paragraph or a page. Ahh, the power of presence!

The imagination is always loyal to the deeper unity of everything. It has patience with contradiction because there it glimpses new possibilities. And the imagination is the great friend of possibility. ~John O’Donohue

I’m grateful I kept plugging away. I discovered a chapter entitled Imagination: Beauty’s Entrance, and I’ve read it several times over. I’d like to share a few of its points. (All quotes are from the book unless otherwise noted.)

The imagination awakens the wildness of the heart. This is not the vulgar intrusive wildness of social disruption. It is the wildness of human nature. Otherwise, he explains, convention could make our single adventure of life into a programme of patterned social expectation. According to Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Jungian analyst and author of Women Who Run with the Wolves, our wild nature is present at birth, providing us with passion, playfulness, inner knowing, creativity, courage, and confidence, but the process of domestication can result in this innate quality devolving into something that feels improper.
The imagination keeps the heart young. When the imagination is alive, the life remains youthful. Even near the end of life everything can come alive in new and unforeseen forms. This research from the Journal of Aging Studies explains that productivity, distinction, and anti-aging are major organizing principles for elders describing themselves as creatives.
The imagination has no patience with repetition. We become interested in what might be rather than what has always been. Experimentation, adventure, and innovation lure us toward new horizons. In Walking in this World: The Practical Art of Creativity, Julia Cameron writes, The soul thrives on adventure. Deprived of adventure, our optimism fails us. Adventure is a nutrient, not a frivolity. You might recall some of the reasons I am an adventure advocate from this post.
The imagination offers wholesomeness: heart and head, feeling and thought come into balance. An awakened imagination brings the warmth and tenderness of affection into the life of thought; and it brings clarity and light of thought to the flow of feelings. As Mark Twain wisely stated, You can’t depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus.
The imagination creates a pathway of reference for the visitations of beauty. It opens up diverse ways into the complex and lyrical forest of experience. To awaken the imagination is to retrieve, reclaim, and re-enter experience in fresh new ways. And in Kahlil Gibran’s masterpiece The Prophet, beauty is described as an ecstasy: a heart enflamed and a soul enchanted.

The brilliance of John O’Donohue’s writing caused me to pause and reconsider blessings I’ve taken for granted, like these jewels of the imagination. I encourage you to explore his work, as well, to bask in its powerful, heart-opening, sacred practicality.

When you regain a sense of your life as a journey of discovery, you return to rhythm with yourself. When you take the time to travel with reverence, a richer life unfolds before you. Moments of beauty begin to braid your days. ~John O’Donohue

Imaginative Blessings,

Lisa

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