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How Well Do I Love My Body?

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How Well Do I Love My Body?The topic for our group call this month is weight loss, so this month’s article encourages us to  focus on the ways our body serves us and how we can serve it, which helps us to accept—yes, even love—our bodies and to stop obsessing about appearance only.

If losing weight is one of your goals, it helps tremendously to have a loving relationship with your body. Sometimes people are afraid if they love their body as it is, and they are not the size or shape they’d like to be, that it will be more difficult to drop the extra pounds or firm up the muscles. They say, “I don’t want to love this extra weight, I want to just concentrate on loving the body I want to have instead; the body that is underneath this extra weight!”

The thing is, when you love yourself for who you truly are, and who you see yourself becoming, that vital connection strengthens you as you take better care of yourself by making healthier food choices, drinking enough water, getting enough fresh air, exercise, and sleep, so that it is much easier to lose any extra weight.

Its our thoughts about ourselves that can be damaging or productive. Furthermore, our own opinion of ourselves influences others’ opinions of us much more than we realize.

Below is a list of statements that will give you some positive ways to see your body and hopefully help you be more open in how well you love your body. As you read through these statements just notice how they feel in your body. Do you feel any resistance? Sadness? Hopefulness? Do any of them make you smile? Just observe how they land for you.

1. I do things that let me enjoy my body—dance, take a hot bath, walk, get a massage.

2. I see myself as a whole person, not just as a body.

3. I wear comfortable clothes that I really like and that feel good to my body, rather than trying to hide or camouflage my body or to follow uncomfortable fashion trends.

4. I act the way I would if I had what I consider an ‘ideal’ body.

5. I do things I enjoy and don’t let my weight or shape keep me from it.

6. I tell my body at night how much I appreciate what it has allowed me to do throughout the day.

7. I appreciate that my arms enable me to hold someone I love, that my thighs enable me
walk and run.

8. I exercise to feel good physically and clear my mind, not only to lose or maintain weight.

9. I count my blessings, not my blemishes.

10. I think of my body as a valuable gift.

12. I consider myself the expert on my body, not the fashion magazines, the cosmetics industry, the weight charts.

13. I am as “in love” with my body as an infant is.

14. I think of my body as a tool, as an instrument of my life, not just as an ornament.

15. I act as though I am my body’s ally and advocate, not its enemy.

16. I listen to my body and take its needs and wishes into consideration when making decisions.

17. I refuse to waste time criticizing my body or worrying about my appearance, and instead spend my time on something more productive.

18. When someone says, “You look great today,” I enthusiastically respond, “Why, thank you so much!”

How did you do?

Remember, your cells are very aware of every thought you have, so you never want any part of your body to feel unloved. It’s important to put as much love into your body as possible.

If you struggle in this area, I would love to help. Join me for my Group SimplyHealed™ phone session where we will be “de-fragging your bio-computer”, releasing limiting beliefs that are keeping you stuck and sluggish in the area of weight loss, and “installing” new, positive thought patterns to help you get healthy and stay healthy! Register here.

Author’s content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications

Family Stress Test

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Family Stress TestStress is a natural and normal “by-product” of every family’s life. In fact, family stress can bring out the best of us: as we stretch to meet the challenges we face, we become better parents, our children blossom and our families grow. But too much stress can spiral our families in the other direction. Take this Thriving test to see how your family fares.

Set 1

1. There is a lot of bickering in our house. Someone is always angry at someone else.

2. There’s never enough time to sit down together, either to talk or to eat. There’s always too much to do.   3. My spouse and I argue a lot about how to raise the children.

4. It’s like pulling teeth to get the kids to help around the house.

5. Our family has experienced a lot of significant change recently (divorce, death, blending family, job loss, illness, other trauma).

6. Money is very tight. My partner and I have constant conflicts about how to spend it.

7. My child has been having behavioral problems at school.

8. The children get upset when they hear us arguing.

9. I work too much, and it’s really getting to me.

10. We don’t really talk about hard issues; we just try to hold our breath, wait and let them go away.

Set 2

1. We acknowledge feelings, encourage their expression and allow time for dealing with the issues these feelings raise.

2. We plan time for family activities. And we eat together at least once every day.

3. If a blended family, we maintain and nurture original parent-child relationships and let new relationships develop in their own time.

4. I feel confident in my role as parent.

5. Our family easily maintains a sense of humor and playfulness.

6. Family priorities take precedence over work.

7. I know what’s important to my kids.

8. When issues arise that we get stuck on, we ask for help from other family members, support groups, community-based programs, clergy and/or a therapist.

9. We have enough money for the important things.

10. Everyone in the family has responsibilities around the house and does them without being nagged.

If you answered true more often in the first set than in the second set, you may want to seek help lowering the stress level of your family. Families that communicate about problems, who face issues as they arise, who support one another and seek help when it is needed, can build strong bonds among themselves, nurture a healthy and loving family and have a lot more fun doing it!

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Do you have a family that puts the FUN in dysfunction? Do you cringe at the thought of spending a weekend with certain family members?

Or, maybe you have a great family, but there’s been some recent ‘upsets’ that have caused some tension or awkwardness.

And yes, even if you feel like you are the only “normal” one in your family! We are the chain-breaking generation, and it’s time to release those unhealthy patterns.

Join me for our next Group Energy Clearing Session!

Author’s content used  under license, © 2008 Claire Communications

Top Ten Things to Say to Yourself

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Top Ten Things to Say to YourselfOften the things we say to ourselves we wouldn’t even think of saying to another person.

We blame, shame, call names of the meanest sort, nag, belittle and bully ourselves through self-talk.

What if, instead, we were gentler with ourselves, asked ourselves questions and listened to the responses.

What if we treated ourselves as we treat a best friend, someone we love dearly?

Here’s a Top Ten list of loving things to say to yourself:

1. What do you feel?

Asking ourselves what we feel can help put names to, and identify emotions. Listening for the response and being honest with ourselves is like taking our emotional temperature.

2. What do you need?

A need is different from a want. Whereas a want states a desire, a need is usually a statement about nurturing. Pay attention to your needs, they’re about caring for yourself.

3. Good job

Congratulate yourself on a job well done whether it’s mowing the lawn, writing a poem or cleaning the bathroom. Give yourself a verbal pat on the back.

4. I apologize

Saying “I’m sorry” for all the wrongs we have done ourselves can be the first step in healing.

5. Let’s play

Lighten up and be playful. Listen to what comes up when you suggest play.

6. Breathe

Reminding ourselves to breathe helps relieve tension, gives us that moment we sometimes need to center and ground ourselves.

7. I forgive you

Sometimes it’s easier to forgive others than to forgive ourselves. Yet, to have closure and to move on, often means we have to forgive ourselves.

8. Let go

Releasing worries, resentments, anger, fears loosens the grip of resistance and makes room for growth.

9. Be present

Staying present, being aware of the physical, acknowledging the moment, this is when we are truly alive.

10. I love you!

We say it to others, why not say it to ourselves. Say it again.

 

Author’s content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications

 

Top 10 Actions That Say “I Love You”

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Top 10 Actions That Say “I Love You”The saying, “Words are cheap, action speaks,” is never more true than when applied to “I love you.” Whether spoken to a romantic partner, your children or other family members, if the actions aren’t there to back up the loving words, it all means nothing. Below are 10 of the best ways to say “I love you” in your actions. But there are thousands more. Take a look at these, then grab your journal or a notepad and see how creative you can get in coming up with your own ideas. Most importantly, follow through on actually doing them.

1. Greet your loved ones with a big smile, a hug and a kiss.

2. Really listen to what your loved ones are saying; give them your undivided and undistracted attention.

3. Support each other through tough times.

4. Do simple (even random) acts of kindness, such as massaging shoulders or feet, cooking a favorite meal, running a bath.

5. Spend one-on-one time with your loved ones, with no particular agenda.

6. Commit to letting go of judgment of their faults.

7. Come home on time.

8. Be impeccable with your word. If you say you’ll do something, do it, and by the time you said you’d do it.

9. Take responsibility for your part in any conflict, and then look at how you can do better next time. Step out of the blame game.

10. Share yourself and what lives deeply inside of you. This is a precious gift and conveys trust and security.

Author’s content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications

9 Signs You Could Use an Energy Detox

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9 Signs You Could Use an Energy DetoxDo you ever wake up feeling exhausted, or do you feel sluggish in the afternoon? Do you look at young children and wonder where their boundless energy comes from? At 43, I knew that something needed to shift. I worked out; I ate healthy food, compared to the standard American diet. But I still felt tired. I returned to juicing and raw foods. In days, I was brimming with energy again, feeling like a 20 year younger, new and improved version of me.

Detox diets cleanse the body to restore balance. Periodic fasting is a spiritual principle, abstaining from food and drink to give the digestive system a rest. A detox diet can include drinking only purified water with squeezed lemon, green juices, and/or consuming mostly raw vegetables, fruits, and nuts. We live in an increasingly toxic world with daily exposure to chemicals, additives, harmful sugars, and pharmaceutical drugs. Our bodies can no longer function with a child’s vibrancy. We get bogged down from the toxins in our physical systems.

Similarly, our energy systems get bogged down from the mental and emotional clutter that is stored in our bodies’ cellular memory. Just as a detox diet cleans out the toxins in our bodies, an energy detox through energy work can release the toxic energetic clutter in our 7 energy systems. We accumulate mental and emotional debris through the daily experience of living.

Here are 9 signs that suggest you might benefit from an energy detox:

1) Do you have an idea or inner desire about what to do next, but your excuses overpower your will to move forward?

2) Do your emotional responses (including anger and tears) seem easily triggered?

3) Do you ever find yourself in an emotionally charged conflict with a partner or loved one that seems much larger than what the actual disagreement warrants?

4) Does your mind chatter disturb your daily measure of peace?

5) Is your relationship with a spouse or loved one clouded by the disappointments and/or resentments of the past?

6) Do your creative urges feel blocked?

7) Do you taste fear about taking the next step?

8) Do you feel cut off from trusting your intuition or receiving intuitive knowledge?

9) Do you feel disconnected from the Awesome version of yourself?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions above, consider de-cluttering from what is no longer serving you. Life is a process of learning and growth, and awareness is 50 percent of the solution to shifting one’s energy. But if you cannot clear your energy on your own, find a Simply HealedTM practitioner to assist you with cleansing from the emotional clutter. Yes, we will encounter life challenges, but it is easier to navigate without carrying around excess energetic baggage.

 

Dr. Tera Maxwell www.teramaxwell.com

About the Author
Tera Maxwell, Ph.D., Energy Coach and Simply Healed™ Practitioner, specializes in helping mama entrepreneurs release personal and money blocks, often stemming from generational and childhood memories, so they can soar in business and life. Her doctoral work on generational trauma among Filipino Americans prepared her for energy work, where she continues to share her message: We can change. Our generational and childhood baggage need not define us.  www.teramaxwell.com

Got Clarity?

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Got Clarity?Got Clarity? Replenish with your own mini-retreat!

One of my husband’s very favorite things to do is lie on a beach with no schedule to have to conform to (isn’t that everyone’s?). This isn’t always feasible, since we have busy schedules and live in the desert of southern Utah. So last week I took him to Jamaica for his birthday, and for six days, that’s what we did- enjoyed the beautiful Caribbean water and weather with no phones, computers, or agendas to stick to. Ahh…it was heaven!

It got me thinking…why don’t I add little mini-retreats like this into my life on a more regular basis?  Well, I mean without the amazingly clean smell of the ocean air, the sand between my toes, and meal prep all taken care of for me.

But I can still derive some of the benefit of big get-aways like this by finding ways in my everyday life to retreat and renew. Here is my list I came up with of things I can do to replenish my soul when my cup is nearing empty-or hopefully before! As you read through it notice ways that you can create a retreat yourself, without spending a ton of time or money, and without even leaving your own home if you don’t want to.

1. Visit a local art museum. Are you familiar with all the local talent in your area? I know I’m not, and would like to be. I’ve definitely calendared this for next month.

2. Take your camera and a notebook and go explore a part of your city that you have never really explored (as long as it’s safe). Take pictures, and journal about what you’ve discovered. Doesn’t this sound fun? I’m SO doing this!

3. Go to an afternoon matinee –all by yourself!

4. Spend a day in the garden, or the container pots, or community garden, or any other way to get your hands in the earth

5. Re-connect with an old friend over lunch –Who is the first person that came to your mind? Call him or her.

6. Go for a hike. Even an hour or two of one-on-one time with Mother Nature can reap huge relaxation rewards.

7. Plan a day off just to read! I tend to have several books partially read in different rooms throughout my house. Hmm..imagine taking a day to finish all those up and start new ones!

8. Do a media fast for a few days or even a week. Turn off all input—TV, radio, stereo, newspaper, internet, and see what amazing insights are there in the peacefulness for you.

9. Get a massage –it’s especially great if you know a massage therapist who does house calls. Be sure to follow that with down-time.

10. Take a long bath – add some candlelight, bath salts or essential oils, and relaxing music.

11. Spend a day doing what you love, not what you feel obligated to do. Give yourself permission to put your to-do list away for a day and enjoy yourself with no pressure to get something done! Don’t worry, you’ll probably get twice as much done the following day.

12. Take a class:  self-defense, cooking, dance, zumba, yoga, tai chi. Try something new you’ve always wanted to do.

I hope these suggestions spurred some ideas for you, and that you will follow through on giving yourself a mini-retreat often. Remember that when you take ‘retreat time’ it is a gift to yourself and to those around you. We bring our best selves to the world when we are replenished, refreshed and relaxed!  After all, it’s the pauses between the notes that make the melody beautiful.

Want to Raise Your Vibration?

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Want to Raise Your Vibration?In my line of work as an Energy Practitioner, I find that nearly everyone wants to know how they can feel better and how they can have a higher vibration, and also how they can maintain that higher vibration.

Many people want a formula to tell them how to keep their vibration strong and positive. They believe there must be some ancient secret or new age discovery that will teach them how to make that happen in their life.

Well, I’ll tell you an age-old, tried and proven, definitely-works remedy for a waning personal vibration. Are you ready…. Drum roll please…

~ Be kinder than you need to be. ~

Yep, that’s it! Kindness and service to others literally raises your energetic vibration! Is that answer too easy for you? Or perhaps that requires too much of you?

We all know that what you send out is what you get back. So, of course it makes sense that if you seek for happiness, helping someone else experience happiness will automatically bring it your way as well. When we help our fellowmen, not only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. It’s a win-win situation!

In my youth I was taught that if you are having a bad day, the best way to ‘snap out of it’ is to do some service for another person. If I was feeling grumpy or out of sorts, or sad about something, I learned to ask myself, “What service can I do for someone else today?”

Through experience I know that the best way to forget my troubles is to unselfishly help someone else. There is something about connecting with another person that makes you feel good through and through –and who wouldn’t want that?

It doesn’t need to be something big, elaborate and time consuming. It can be as easy as some kind words to your neighbor at the mailbox, holding a door for someone, letting someone go ahead of you in a line, sending a thank you note to someone. And it can even be anonymous service, such as pulling some weeds in your neighbor’s yard while they are out (as long as you know them well enough to be in their yard. Otherwise, that could be creepy)

There’s an unexplainable miracle in helping others, that is, by losing ourselves, we find ourselves. The more we help others, the more substance there is to our souls.

By giving out you create more room to grow on the inside. We acquire more depth as we serve others—of course it is easier to “find” ourselves because there is so much more of us to find!

So, in this world we live in where everyone seems rushed, and out for themselves, and not able to see past their own problems, how about trying something that may seem a little counter-intuitive? Take a look around and be open to doing random acts of kindness for others. Opportunities for service abound!

So, to raise your energetic vibration, release some of your own worries, and enjoy more peace and joy in your life, the answer is easier and more practical than you may have thought. Just remember, you can’t help others without helping yourself, or as my grandma used to say, you can’t make a jelly sandwich for someone else without getting some of that sweet jelly on yourself!

Breathing Exercises

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Breathing ExercisesIn the last post, we saw how how important breathing is. In fact, the American Medical Students Association website says Using and learning proper breathing techniques is one of the most beneficial things that can be done for both short and long term physical and emotional health. Read more

Can Energy Healing Enhance Emotional Health?

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Can Energy Healing Enhance Emotional Health?The traditional approach to dealing with negative emotions and emotional health has always focused on the mental level. Emotional sufferers routinely spend countless hours in talk therapy, hoping for relief from their anguish but sometimes end up reliving rather than relieving emotional pain. In recent years, however, traditional psychotherapy has opened up to new approaches. These approaches incorporate working with the body’s energy while moving away from dependence on the conscious mind. Read more