Dear Readers - March 26, 2009

The lovely Kathy Freston has a new book coming out, called, Quantum Wellness Cleanse: The 21-Day Essential Guide to Healing Your Mind, Body and Spirit. I plan to buy it when it comes out in May.

As you know, I spent three months living and working at the Optimum Health Institute last year, and it was a wonderful experience. We lived on a diet of raw food--detox raw food. It was sometimes a challenge, but filled with many moments of rewards. Over the course of my stay I lost a total of 32 pounds, returning home rested, renewed and with a desire to continue the raw food lifestyle.

That, my friends, was much harder then expected. Old patterns began to re-surface and the weight began to return. It has been a lesson. I don't regret a minute of my time spent at OHI and am much wiser because of my three months of service.

Unless one addresses the emotional side to eating--overeating that is--permanent weight loss is less likely. If one feels deprived, craving a sweet, or in my case something salty, at a certain point you just give into the craving. Old habits die hard, and once again I am reminded that balance in all things is really the best for sustaining lifestyle changes that are both permanent and health enhancing.

So, eating some cooked food is back on the menu, lots of lush dark green salads, seeds and nuts and a more realistic long term commitment to my lifestyle needs and adventures. I just must be a "foodie," as I have always found a gathering with friends and family over a beautiful meal one of the finer things in life. And, although I love hot yoga for its rejuvenating, stress relieving qualities, more movement for my body type is needed to reduce and then maintain a more ideal body type.

And off I go... Does this sound familiar to any of you? Making a permanent lifestyle change that addresses both the physical and emotional side of your well-being? If it does, drop me a line, let's work on it together. Having a community of support is paramount for feeling supported and heard. I know this because of the OHI experience. We were all on the same page there to heal and rejuvenate. Weight loss was a side dish, so to speak.

I have just begun reading Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing by Dr. Christiane Northrup. I just finished her book on mothers and daughters, and it is a wonderful read. All of us, on some level have something to heal. Some of us have many things. The important part is not to give up on yourself. Keep pushing through.

The mother/daughter connection is so important because it was the first and truly primary example given us. From that we weave our own existence into adulthood and discover our own healing path--one that ideally sets in motion healing the generational imprints no longer useful, and re-imprinting on a cellular level more profound, conscious ways of living and being into the generation that follows.

May your life be filled with discovery, and until next time... Be Well.

In vibrant health,

Shay Arave
President
Subtle Energy Solutions
ShaysWays.com