"The Big Fat Lie" July 2010 Community Focus

Mind:

• Dreams speak of the unclaimed parts of ourselves... our hopes, fears, desires, needs... our truth. This month bring some awareness to your subconscious by engaging in dreamwork. Keep a dream journal by your bedside. Each night before you slip off to slumber, open your journal and write down a question for your subconscious to answer in your dreams. In order to invite your subconscious to come forward and speak to you through your dreams, phrase your question as, "What do I need to know about... my relationship, my career, my health, my family, my friendships (you fill in the blank)?" Simply jot down whatever has been troubling you or rattling around in your head with no apparent direction or solution. Create the invitation for the guidance you need to come forward from the deepest place within you. If you haven't had anything in particular on your mind you can leave the question open-ended and simply write, "What do I need to know at this time?" In the morning, when you rise, simply write down whatever you remember from your dreams underneath the question you posed in your journal. Don't worry about figuring any of it out in that moment, just log what's fresh in your memory. If you can't seem to recall any dreams, log any phrases, words, or images that come to mind in those first waking moments and don't worry if they make sense at this point. Simply make your notes. Sometimes, when engaged in dreamwork, you may wake in middle of the night from a vivid dream. If this is the case, go ahead a take a second to jot down the impressions you remember. Later, when you have time, sit with your dreamwork entry and see what it speaks to you. What does it symbolize? What guidance came filtering in through your dreams in relation to your question? Open your mind and see what threads of connection you can form. This is a wonderful way to begin to get in touch with your own internal guidance.

Body:

• Sinus issues are very common at this time of year. Air conditioning and the dry heat of sweltering days can irritate delicate sinus tissues. So many people throw away money on anti-histamines and nasal sprays when there is an extremely effective natural solution. Nasal irrigation with the use of a neti pot has been found to be very beneficial for preventing sinus infections, allergic responses, headaches, and asthma. Ayurvedic texts outline that the practice of nasal irrigation using a sea salt water blend can have a balancing effect on all the systems of the body, including the emotions. I have been using a neti pot upon the recommendation of my doctor and I am amazed by how much it has freed up my breathing. I have also noted benefits that extend beyond the alleviation of my sinus issues. If you struggle with sinus-related maladies, give yourself the opportunity to discover this healing approach. Now is the perfect time with summer in high gear to get some relief using a natural method. Neti pots are very inexpensive. When you add up all the costs of allergy medications, inhalers, and anti-histamines, it becomes clear what a wise investment this can be in your health. You can get your own neti pot by following the link below...

Neti Pot Starter Kit with 1.5 Oz Aromatic Salt Original Neti Pot Salt

• Pay homage to the sun by starting your day with a sun salutation practice. Sun salutations are a series of yoga poses, or asanas, that are threaded together in a sequence that moves like a dance matched to breath. Opening poses or back bends are matched to inhale. Folding forward poses are matched to exhale. Sun salutations center and energize your entire being. It is a wonderful practice to begin your day with and is very much in harmony with the summer season. This sequence provides strengthening, cardiovascular, and flexibility conditioning in a relatively brief amount of time. Ten minutes spent in sun salutation can be of immense benefit physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, by helping you connect with yourself and the natural rhythm of the world around you. If sun salutations are a new practice for you, you may want to begin with as little as three rounds of the sequence. Each week as you feel strengthened, you can add more rounds until you reach a place that feels right for your body. I have included a video below that demonstrates this sequence for those of you who may be unfamiliar with yoga. The video features Shiva Rea and a sun salutation practice that is a little over 8 minutes in duration. Namaste...

 

Spirit & Feeling Your Connection With Nature:

• This month our spirit and nature focuses are combined. We are going to give ourselves the opportunity to experience nature as healer. At some point during this month gather together a blanket to spread out and lounge upon, some food and beverages, a soul-stirring book, journal, sketch pad, pens, pencils, markers, bubbles, whatever you like, along with the willingness to head outdoors and spend the day communing with the natural world around you. Give yourself the gift of this day to simply be and get reconnected with yourself. Sit and do nothing if you like, just listening to the rhythm of your breath, the sounds of nature swirling around you in this dance of life. Meditate or do some yoga barefoot upon the cool grass. Blow bubbles like you did as a kid or cartwheel yourself across an open field. Write in your journal about whatever comes up for recognition in your soul. Let out your creativity and doodle to your heart's content or draw a picture of your natural surroundings. Nap as the sun warms your bones and you are serenaded to sleep by the songs of birds. Ask those deep questions and listen for nature's answers. Feel your connection to all that is and the sublime beauty of simply being in nature's loving embrace.