As most businesses have now re-opened and we have started to return to a somewhat more normal day-to-day life, I think it is important for us to understand that the recent state of the world has brought each person unique struggles or circumstances to overcome.

So how can we create a shift, how can we make a difference?

The answer is simple...
BE KIND 

Ask yourself how can you listen to understand, rather than listen to respond?
How can you show up for yourself and others with gratitude, empathy, and an open heart?
How can you turn your struggles into opportunities? 

...............

This week my offer to you is a longer yin yoga practice to bring in more compassion for yourself and your bodies through slow surrender and gentle movement.

Check out the video below for the 75 minute class, and continue reading for ideas on how you can find more peace and compassionate in your everyday life.

For a quicker read, you can follow the bold writing.

"The Four Agreements"

For this weeks newsletter I want to suggest we take some advice from Don Miguel Ruiz's book - The Four Agreements - to find ways we can be more compassionate to ourselves and the world around us.

For those of you who have read and loved this book, as I have:

This newsletter will be a gentle reminder of its lessons and how we can use them to lead a more compassionate life.

For those of you who haven't read, or heard of, this book:

I strongly suggest getting yourself a copy as it creates an incredible guideline for living more peacefully in the world. However, this newsletter will give you a small dive into some of the principles discussed and ways in which you can apply them in your own life.

1. "Be Impeccable with your Word"

Compassion starts with us, and the way in which we speak to ourselves. 

We've all been told things in our lives that have made us doubt ourselves in one way or another. Maybe you were bullied in school, made fun of, told you weren't good enough, told that you had to change if you wanted to fit in, or worse.

These actions may have lead to a negative view of yourself in relation to the world around you. But the truth is, after those moments pass, we are the ones who decide whether that story sticks with us or not. 

The stories we choose to adopt and repeat as our truth are the ones that create our reality. The beauty of the magic of our words, is that we hold the power to change the stories that we tell ourselves, and thus, change our reality. 

"Like a sword with two edges, your word can create the most beautiful dream, or your word can destroy everything around you." (Ruiz, p.26)

Our words shape us. So lets shift from words of judgement to words of admiration and inspiration. 
Lets use our words to create a more beautiful reality, rather than tear ourselves down. 
Because when we deplete ourselves and continue to drive in the negative stories we've heard over time, we are doing ourselves, and others, a disservice.

Speak kind words to yourself so you can be genuinely kind to others.


2. "Don't take anything personally"

Always remember: Hurt people hurt people. 
The way that others treat you is not a reflection of who you are, but rather a reflection of them. 

When we approach our daily interactions from this headspace, we can approach people with more compassion. Rather than react, lash out, or get upset, approach unpleasant interactions from a deeper knowing that the person causing the hurt likely has some deeper seated pain, turmoil, trauma, or hardships that they have not worked through, whether they are aware of them or not.

When we respond with kindness it releases us from wasted time spent ruminating, getting caught in negative thought loops, or prolonged stress or pain. And many times, responding with compassion will leave the one inflicting the hurt to reflect upon, and reconsider, their actions and treatment of others. 

So rather than take on that residual gunk left from someone else's mess, be kind, brush it off, and let it go.


3. "Don't make assumptions"

Remember the old saying that to assume makes a certain something our of you and me?...

The problem with assuming is that we tend to use our own negative stories to create additional supporting stories out of thin air.

For example, if a stranger looks at us funny it may cause us to spiral into our negative thought loops, thinking they are looking right through us and confirming all of our insecurities. Or we will label that person as rude or a jerk from a misguided place. Or we may even react from a negative space and return the look or make a remark to that person, causing an unpleasant interaction and resulting in us not being impeccable with our word.

Maybe the person did intent to look at you funny... If so, remember, that's a reflection of them, not you.
Or maybe in that moment they smelled, remembered, or thought of something that made them uncomfortable or made them feel pain. Or perhaps they were playing out their own insecurity thought loop. 

Regardless of the circumstance, we have the choice to let go of our assumptions around the situation in order to maintain peace in our day and not inflict any undue harm or stress to our own self or  the passerby.

But what about the assumptions we make about the people we love, and are close to? 
We know them well enough to know they are true right?...  WRONG

Maybe your significant other has a certain tone with you today, and you start to assume that they are trying to passive aggressively nit pick at your insecurities, sending you into that negative thought spiral and potentially causing an emotionally fueled argument.

Lets dissect this situation:

If you take a moment to discard the assumptions, and not take it personally, you may realize their tone is from a rough day they haven't told you about or a frustration situation they are dealing with that has nothing to do with you. Or maybe their tone is coming from a space of concern or is stemming from their own insecurities.

When we discard the assumptions, we can approach the situation from a desire to understand rather than the assumption that we are being personally attacked. As a result we can approach it from a space of compassion rather than judgement. And compassion may be just what they need in that moment. 

When "we make assumptions about what others are doing or thinking - we take it personally - then we blame them and react by sending emotional poison with our word... Because we are afraid to ask for clarification, we make assumptions; then we defend our assumptions and try to make someone else wrong." (Ruiz, p. 63-4)

Another example that is all to common to relationships we hold, is the assumption that our closest friends, roommates, siblings, children, parents, or significant other can read our minds, or know what we want or need. We build expectations for those close to us based on an assumption that they know us so well that we shouldn't have to ask for, or tell them, the actions we do or don't want or need from them.

It can be as simple as keeping the living room tidy, or washing the dishes, or it can be more complex ways in which you need or want them to show up in your life. When these assumptions, and expectations built around them, are not met, we feel hurt. We assume they did or didn't do something on purpose to prove a point or to cause us pain. 

Rather than assume, and take things personally, try to communicate with compassion, be impeccable with your word, and have the courage to ask questions in the face of uncertainty. 

Seek to understand, not to assume or to react. 
Let go of assumptions, don't take things personally, and be impeccable with your word as it will allow you to lead a more compassionate and peaceful life. 


4. "Always do your best"

This one is pretty straight forward, but what it implies can be misconstrued.

Doing your best doesn't mean always overdoing it by pushing yourself past your limits and beyond what you have the energy for, but rather it means doing what you can each day.

If you do beyond your best everyday, it can lead to burnout, which in turn, means your best will decline.

And on the opposite end of the scale, when we don't make even the smallest effort to do our best, we may result to judgement of self or feelings of guilt, which will make it difficult to be impeccable with our word and be kind to ourselves.

"Your best is never going to be the same from one moment to the next. Everything is alive and changing all the time, so your best will sometimes be high quality, and other times it will not be as good... regardless of the quality, keep doing your best - no more and no less." (Ruiz, p. 75-6)

When forming new habits or adopting new agreements in your life, know that it takes time and practice.
So do your best to implement these agreements everyday to lead a more compassionate life, but know there may be days where it is too difficult, and that is okay, just do what you can.

Do your best without expectations and take kind actions without needing reward, for the more you do your best, the easier it becomes, and the more you will find peace, enjoyment, and freedom in life.

Looking for essential oils to bring more compassion into your life?

Here are my suggestions and go-to oils:

• Lavender
• Rose
  
• Ylang Ylang
• Neroli
• Sweet Marjoram
• Litsea Cubeba (May Chang)
• Geranium (or rose-geranium)
  

Feel free to reach out to me (Natalie) at Natalie@HarmonizingCare.com if you have any questions about these, or any other oils, and I will be more than happy to provide some insight.

We hope you enjoyed the words and practice from this week.
May you all receive more peace and compassion in your lives

Reminder:
If you need extra assistance in this time, Harmonizing Healthcare is offering online herbal consults.
Feel free to give us a call to book your next session!


With gratitude, 
the Harmonizing Healthcare team

(928) 856-0656

Works Cited:
The Four Agreements: a Practical Guide To Personal FreedomMiguel Ruiz - Amber-allen Publishing - 2017

Anxiety can take over your life and you do not need to live with this! There are solutions and help for you. Listen to this video to learn more and find solutions to harmonize yourself. Let us know if you would like support and help with anxiety. That is what we are here for! 

"He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew in that it was everything that was not death... it was aglow and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars."

~Jack London

IT'S SPRING!

Those of us in Flagstaff are finally starting to see and feel it.
The air outside is warming, the flowers are blooming, the dormant, frozen waters are beginning to flow, move, and nourish the land. Just as the earth blooms, warms, and finds its flow, so to do we find that same cycle.

We are coming out of a cycle of dormancy, of slowing down and going within, and moving into a period of awakening. The energy is rising, our creative juices are flowing, and our bodies are aching for movement. The earth is telling us that it is time to start sowing seeds of personal growth.

So what can we do right now to come into better alignment with this season?
How can we better prepare our bodies and minds for this years endeavors?
​What action can we take to fulfill our creative desires?


1.  Move Your Body!

It doesn't need to be much, but you should be mindfully moving your body every day. 
Whether its doing an hour of yoga, taking a 30 minute walk, dancing to your favorite music, strength training, or doing 15 jumping jacks 5 times a day, its a simple, yet vital activity for the health of our bodies. 

Think about it, our bodies are designed to move... so what happens when we don't get enough movement, or the right type of movement? 

Essentially we either either "use it or lose it." 

Without enough movement, our bodies will eventually deteriorate. 

When we choose to do muscle building exercises, we not only strengthen our muscles, but the bones that support them.  When we stretch, we prevent the shortening of our muscles, joints, and connective tissues that occurs as we age. But when we don't move, we speed the aging process, we loose our range of motion and flexibility, and our bodies become weak and brittle.
Movements ensures the health of our joints, bones, muscles, and circulatory systems. But thats not it... 
​
Other benefits of movement: 

•  Improves cardiovascular health
• Improves coordination, balance, and reflex
• Improves ability to learn and concentrate
• Reduces cognitive decline
• Improves sleep
• Reduces anxiety and depression
• Regulates blood sugar
• Helps to maintain a healthy weight


So this week, we have included for you some guided movement to help reinvigorate and reawaken the systems of your body, get the blood flowing, wake up the digestive systems, and give you an energy boost to better guide and fuel that Spring creativity.

​2. Mindful Eating: nourish and reinvigorate the body systems

How can we fuel our bodies to better support this rise in energy?

We want to think about how to best support and strengthen our bodies natural systems for elimination and how to best get our internal rivers flowing, remove blockages, and clear up stagnation.

Start with incorporating more warm, easy to digest, nutritive foods for fuel. 

While many of us may feel the urge to start eating more salads, remember that excess cold or raw foods can put strain on the liver and digestive functions. So next time you go for the salad, go for a warm salad. Try sautéing your greens and steaming, roasting , or boiling some of the added veggies.   

What kind of foods can you eat to help nourish and strengthen your body's natural systems?

Bitters for digestive health:

• Dandelion greens and roots
• Kale
• Arugula
• Mustard greens
• Nettles and oat straw tea
• Radishes

Warming spices to stimulate circulation:

• Onion 
• Garlic
• Pepper
• Ginger
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Cayenne
• Chai spices

Plants and foods that stimulate lymphatic flow:

• Alder
• Cleavers
• Calendula
• Citrus
• Chia, hemp, and flax seeds
• Sunflower and pumpkin seeds

Foods that support healthy liver function:

• Beets 
• Dandelion
• Artichoke
• Pineapple
• Fennel
• Coffee
• Mugwort
• Chickweed
• Chard
• Sprouts
• Turmeric

Herbs and plants that activate our creative energies

• Rosemary
• Hawthorn
• Tulsi basil
• Mints
• Citrus

Other nourishing spring foods:

• Asparagus
• Lemons
• Celery
• Peas
• Mangoes
• Berries
• Cherries
• Watercress
• Oats
• Parsley
• Scallions
• Avocados
• Figs
• Kitcheri
• Bone broth
• Fermented foods
• Nettle or oat straw tea

3. Detox: encourage and stimulate the body's natural ability to remove toxins

Nothing like Spring cleaning right?! Especially when it comes to our bodies.
But not all forms of detox are the same, and not all are best for our health...

So how do we decide what detox method is best for us?

Before you go diving head first into the next big health fad, there are some things to keep in mind.

1. We want to encourage and strengthen our bodies natural systems to work more efficiently - we don't want to override them.
2. Not all bodies are the same - no detox is one-size-fits-all.
3. Often times gentle is better: you don't need to survive on only liquid for a week to get healthy lasting results.
4. If you are unsure of the best detox, consult your doctor or a nutrition expert who can guide you through.


Need an expert to help you with your detox goals?...     Well look no further!
We have an expert at Harmonizing Healthcare that can create a personalized detox plan for you!

We feel so incredibly honored and lucky to have Dr. Sarica Cernohous as a part of the Harmonizing Healthcare team. Not only is Dr. Cernohous an acupuncturist and herbalist, she is also a TCD (True Cellular Detoxification) practitioner, leading people through programs to support health and well-being at the cellular level.

So what is TCD?

TCD is a program of online education, supplementation and evaluative testing, with supplements tailored to each individual. Using wellness and lifestyle education coupled with supplemental nutritional support, the process of restructuring and rebuilding health begins at the cellular level. Through this process, you bring your body through a strategic process of optimizing cellular and systemic function. 

True Cellular Detox gives you the map, the tools, the direction, and best of all, the proven efficacious formula for health optimization.

Dr. Cernohous offers consultations at Harmonizing Healthcare to review labs and assess health from a functional medicine point of view using True Cellular Detoxification and Metabolic Balance programs.

To schedule your first consultation with Dr. Cernohous, call us at 928-856-0656.

4. Give your energy some direction

Time to plant some seeds and set some goals for personal growth! 

Don't let this newfound energy go to waste. Take some time to think about what passions you want to pursue, what creative endeavors you want to jump start, and what physical, emotional, or spiritual goals you want to attain. 

Write down your goals, break them down into smaller attainable chunks, and revisit them daily. 

Give your energy some relaxed direction, but know that its ok if your original goal transforms downstream. Keep an open mind, explore new heights, and discover new paths. As you move forth with new direction, remember to stay present. 

Flowers don't grow overnight, so don't get stuck on the desired end result. 
Stay present and tend to your personal endeavors with love and gratitude every step of the way. 

We hope you enjoy the class and that you feel inspired to move, nourish, cleanse, and create with this beautiful season.

Remember, if you need extra assistance in this time, Harmonizing Healthcare is offering online herbal consults. Feel free to give us a call to book your next session!
​
With gratitude, 
the Harmonizing Healthcare Team

CALL: 928-856-0656

We live in go-go-go society, where we've adopted the belief that never-ending to do lists and busy, un-yielding schedules are necessary to be and feel successful.

While success and productivity are great, our definitions and values surrounding these concepts are largely misguided. 

To us, productivity, means doing more, and we believe this type of productivity is required to be successful. Furthermore, many of us associate (to some degree) our own value or worthiness with our success in life. So essentially, we think that doing more makes us better people.

When we believe so deeply that doing more makes us better people, then what do we believe about ourselves when we do less?

In the moments you put the to-do list aside and choose to kick-back and relax how do you feel? 
Does the to-do list continue to nag? 
Is there a feeling of guilt or label of laziness that arises?  

What if those moments we negatively label as lazy, the moments we choose to relax, rest, and slow down, could be looked at as an accomplishment, rather than a failure? 

Lets start looking at slowing down as an investment in our health, because ultimately it is. 

Below are just a few of the benefits of rest:

• Improves cardio vascular function
• Boosts your immune system
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces cortisol levels
• Slows the aging process
• Improves memory function, concentration, and productivity
• Stimulates creative drive
• Increases positive thinking

When we look at it that way, the act of non-doing, is one of the most productive things we can do for ourselves. And right now, the earth is giving many of us a unique opportunity to prioritize rest, so why not take advantage of it?
 

How can you schedule more rest?

Some things you can start doing at home to bring more restoration to your body, mind, and spirit during this time are: 

• Meditation or mindful breathing
• Yin or Restorative yoga
• Baths with Epsom salt and relaxing herbs or essential oils
• Abhyanga - Ayurveda self massage


Below we have included a complimentary 30 minute Yin Yoga Practice that you can do at home. We hope you enjoy it. 

Yin Yoga: the Practice of Surrender

Benefits:

Improves flexibility, mobility, and range of motion

Activates the flow of Qi or Prana and balances internal organs

Strengthens the joints and connective tissues

Reduces stress  and anxiety

Increases circulation


"if you don't use your full range of joint flexibility, the connective tissue will slowly shorten to the minimum length needed to accommodate your activities. If you try to flex your knees or arch your back after years of under-use, you'll discover that your joints have been "shrink-wrapped" by shortened connective tissue... 
In general, a yin approach works to promote flexibility in areas often perceived as nonmalleable, especially the hips, pelvis, and lower spine.." ~Paul Grilley

We hope you enjoy the class offered and that it provides you with the opportunity to slow down.

Remember, if you need extra assistance in this time, Harmonizing Healthcare is offering online herbal consults. Feel free to give us a call to book your next session!

With gratitude, 
the Harmonizing Healthcare team

(928) 856-0656

Did you know that we are the only species capable of consciously controlling our breath?But how many of us are actually even conscious of our breath everyday? 
And what benefit is this ability to us? 


BKS Lyengar answered this question best by saying:
"the mind is the king of the senses, but the breath is the king of the mind." 


All other species have an automatic breath response to situations that arise throughout  their daily lives. For example, when prey is being chased by a predator, the "fight-or-flight" response is activated and the breath automatically becomes shallow and rapid. This breath response causes the heart rate to increase, pumping more blood to the muscles to prepare them for action. 


But what happens when we live in a society that perpetuates a continued state of stress and anxiety?

While stress is actually good for our body in small daily doses, many of us are living in a constant state of stress from environmental factors, work demands, and many other everyday life matters. 
Unlike the prey who returns to a normal state of breathing and being after fleeing its predator, as humans, many of us hold onto these stresses mentally, keeping us in a constant pattern of shallow breathing, overworked bodies, and overactive minds. 
This continued anxiety, eventually leaves us feeling burnt out and edge.

If we actually were aware of this pattern, and made a small effort each day to consciously shift away from it, we could return to a state of presence, peace, and experience an overall improved quality of life.

All of that... just by breathing! 

So why not start now?

Check out the video below for guidance through an easy breath technique that you can include in your everyday life to calm the mind, body, and spirit.

Three Part Breath - Dirgha Pranayama 

Benefits of the breath technique:

· Calms the autonomic nervous system by kick-starting the parasympathetic nervous system bringing us into a more relaxed state.

· improving cardiovascular and lung function

· Clears and eases the mind

· Reduces stress/anxiety

· Helps to lower heart-rate, strengthen the diaphragm, facilitate digestion and release tension in the body.

· Increases chi/prana/energy flow in the body to help remove any blockages or stagnation.



How often should you incorporate three-part breath?

Everyday! 
I suggest using this technique at least once a day everyday for 5-10 minutes.  

If you can find time to do it 2-3 times a day, even better! 

As you start to utilize this technique, take not each day of how you feel and what shifts start taking place in your mind, body, and spirit.

Sending you all thoughts of peace and wellness.

If you are looking for some extra ways to improve your overall health in this time, we are currently offering online herbal consults. Please reach out to us with any questions or if you would like to schedule a consult. 


With Gratitude,
The Harmonizing Healthcare team!

(928) 856-0656