Don’t Get Angerballs

I highly recommend watching the movie Playing by Heart if you are in need of a cathartic cry over love.  I was watching it the other night, just after talking with Kristi about the yuckiness of untreated trigger points.  In the movie, characters getting frustrated or upset are called “angerballs” and I thought it a fitting connection.

Trigger points are basically what we call “muscle knots,” though the tissue is not actually knotted.  A small bit of the muscle is contracted; a tiny spasm or miniature cramp.  These little points can not only hurt in their location, but also can cause pain in other areas.  This phenomenon is called “referred pain.”

Trigger point pain can refer to almost anywhere in the body.  Many of us have at one time or another experienced tension headaches, an ailment that may be caused by trigger points.  This effect of travelling pain can occur in almost any area.  The body is one connected unit and disorder in a specific area, such as the jaw, ear, or even bowel, may be compounded by trigger points.

There are two types of trigger points: active and latent.  Active trigger points causes pain at the site of the point as well as pain at another location in the body.  Latent trigger points are more stealthy; they may simply restrict muscle movement or cause muscle weakness and only be painful when pressure is directly applied to the point.

How do trigger points form?  Research suggests that an injury to an area of muscle or repetitive stress on the muscle can lead to the development of trigger points.  Surgical scars can contain trigger points.  They may occur in an avid sportsperson or someone working in a call centre.  Walking with a heavy backpack, holding a baby on the hip or doing one too many bench-presses and a myriad of other activities in our daily lives can predispose a person to these nasty little points.

There is clinical evidence that emotions can affect muscles, but you can prove it to yourself right now, no white coat required.  Imagine that it has snowed again and you are heading out in the -20 degree dark of the morning.  Your brow is probably furrowed, your shoulders hunched up and your lower back aches with the memory of shovelling snow.  Now, imagine yourself in a state of happiness…you’re lying on a hot beach with a cold drink.  How do your muscles feel?  Your back is slowly softening into the sand, you head lolls to the side and your limbs are like jelly.

Regardless of what caused the trigger point to form, it is an angry little ball inside your skin.  It is causing pain and affecting you in ways that you may not even know.  Left untreated, it can cause more trigger points to be created and overload your nervous system with messages of pain until your body is one whole angerball.  

You may not know that you have trigger points.  They can feel like a poppy seed or a frozen pea under the skin and it’s really only when they are touched that you become aware of their existence.  It feels so good to have your massage therapist find these little spots and presses them until the muscle releases.  The massage therapist is literally pushing your buttons.

Wouldn’t you love to have Devon or Ruth squishing those trigger points away while John Mellencamp sings the chorus of “Hurts so Good” in the background?

p.s. You can also ask Adam, the resident acupuncturist, about treating trigger points with needles.

This blogpost was written by a rocking friend of Prana's, Leanne Garon. And 100% loved and approved by me!

Is your depression and anxiety caused by blood sugar imbalances?

I just had a client come to me with depression and anxiety. After looking over her blood work results that she brought in from a recent doctor's visit, in combination with what I observed and her symptoms, my conclusion was that she has a blood sugar issue (in addition to the obvious mental and emotional elements involved in depression that would need to be addressed). Specifically, I suspect she has hypoglycemia. When her blood sugar plummets, due to diet and hormone issues, her adrenals are required to "step it up" and offer some support for her flagging energy, by causing surges of adrenaline. So not only does she get the lack of energy and low mood of depression, but the adrenaline causes anxiety, angry outbursts and a spinning mind (you know, the "wired but tired" feeling you get sometimes when you are trying to go to sleep?).

She is also getting dizzy spells and chest pains, as well as cold extremities and poor circulation (a result of being in the "fight or flight" state, where blood is directed away from the extremities into the large muscles of the upper legs and the heart). Waking up after about 3 hours of sleep is also an indicator of blood sugar imbalance.

So what do you do if this sounds all to familiar?

1) You need to eliminate or greatly restrict simple sugars from your diet, from obvious sources like baking, sweets and pop, as well a "non-obvious" sources of simple sugar, like fruit juice.  You will also need to limit carbohydrates or starchy foods that reduce to a sugar easily in the body, like grains and root vegetables. You can find lists of where foods are on the Glycemic Index (the rate which a food turns to sugar in your system) here, or a search engine to tell you the glycemic index of any food here (low is 55 or less; high is 70 and above).

2) You may find supplementing with chromium helpful. This trace mineral is often low in people with blood sugar balance issues.

3) Reflexology and acupuncture are both modalities that help balance hormones naturally, as well as help to bring blood sugar back into balance. They will also help to heal the adrenal glands so you can relax and stop worrying. Plus, they just feel good!

If you have depression and/or anxiety, there is many possible causes - blood sugar imbalance is just one possiblity (though a common one). Talk to your doctor and have him do blood tests to check, and ask for advice from a trained health practitioner if you suspect this might be your issue.

How NOT to Overeat this Holiday Season

 Want to avoid a massive overeat this holiday season? Read on!

 I adore Christmas. I adore lights, presents, friends, family, trees, elves, and most of all, I adore food. Yes, I know - I know I am supposed to be a beacon of radiant good health and moderation. This is a health blog after all. And as important as my health is, and as important as healthy eating is to a healthy body and mind, sometimes a gal enjoys a feast.

That being said, there are ways to enjoy your cupcakes without getting a muffin top.

This is a muffin top!

1. Before you go to a party or a big feast where you know you will be tempted, drink a protein shake with added fiber. I love a product from RenewLife called FiberSmart. This will do a couple of good things. It will help fill you up a bit so you make decisions based on what you actually want, rather than random shoveling of food into your open mouth (oh, come on, I know I am not the only one!). It will also help to regulate the rush of sugar you are going to unleash on your unsuspecting system. This is critical not only to your health, but to your weight. The slower the sugar rushes through your system, the better. So fiber it up before hand!


2. Choose only your favourites. If you are going to cheat and eat from the naughty list, then at least make sure it is the very best of the naughty. If you want chocolate, have chocolate, but make it the stuff you really love. High quality food, ate with enjoyment and savoured, is instantly removed from your thighs by elves...true story! Ok, maybe not, but if you truly savour and enjoy food, a few beneficial things happen. First, you tend to eat slower and therefore eat less. Second, up to 20% of digestion happens before you  ever put food in your mouth. It starts with enjoying the colour, the smell, and the anticipation. Your body, acting like a little Pavlovian dog, starts releasing anticipatory chemicals, juices and enzymes, so that the delicious treats you consume can be digested. And the better you digest, the healthier you are, the stronger your immune system and the easier your weight management will be.

3. Move away from the food! I don't know about you, but as long as I stand by the food table at a party, or as long as I sit at the dinner table with all of the leftover turkey and stuffing, I tend to keep eating. And I do it rather mindlessly. So once you ate your fill, back away from the food before it lures you back in for seconds (thirds and fourths). Simple, but effective.

I wish you a remarkably enjoyable and healthy holiday season. I know I will enjoy mine!

Kristi Shmyr

Gratitude Becomes You!

I was recently blessed to participate in Kristi's Goal Ninjas program for a second time. Our group completed the program a week ago tomorrow and, once again, it was fantastic and revealing. Kristi is an insightful, knowledgeable and skilled facilitator with a brilliant ability to add perspective to all facets of life and living.
On Sunday, after the completion of the program, I had a horrible time and, as a result, felt incredibly guilty that my son may not have been enjoying a day that could have been a lot more upbeat and fun. It was sabotage Sunday - the day after incredible and profound awareness' have been had and start to try and sink in. The insights and processes that had been facilitated for me by Kristi the day before were deep and difficult to embrace. While the purpose of profound awareness is to help create positive change, there seems to be a period of fighting and struggling against what is or what could be and we resist change - this resistance being very inherent and sometimes a real source of struggle for us. I know I am not immune to this struggle and while I don't want to focus on it, I am always doing my best to learn and grow from it.

When my son, Caleb, went down for a nap on that hard day, I contemplated how everything that was causing me stress, unease and anger had absolutely nothing to do with him and how he was so undeserving of the wrath of my mood. I knew that it was up to me to turn things around as it wasn't Caleb that had changed, but ME that's TRYING to change. One of the best things to do to incite change is to take action - something one of my great mentors always reminds us of (wink, Kristi). I sat down at my computer and visited Byron Katie's website, thework.com . There are some absolutely amazing videos on there of Byron Katie facilitating the work for others and her site is a wonderful resource for anyone wanting to make it through their struggles, myself included. I did the work on myself and issues as they related to Caleb and made it through the day with much less negativity.

On Monday night I read a chapter in a stunning book I'm reading right now by Katherine Woodward Thomas called Calling In The One. The chapter was all about gratitude. Woodward Thomas tells about how once, during a really low time in her life, she made a commitment to wake up half an hour earlier than usual every day for 30 days and write 5 pages on all the things in her life she was grateful for. 5 pages! Not 3 things or 5 things or 1 page, but 5 pages! She shares on how challenging it became and how, not long into the process, she had to start digging really deep to fill up those pages. I was really inspired by this and I thought about how, in the arena of positive living, we're often encouraged to keep a gratitude journal or to consider what it is we're grateful for every day, but Woodward Thomas really took it to another level. I decided to follow suit. On Tuesday, I challenged myself to be grateful all day long. Every single thing that I saw or that occurred to me or that I perceived or thought of, I found the reason that I was grateful for it. Even and especially the things that I felt most challenged by. My day, thoughts and my overall feelings and experience were completely memorable! Suddenly, everything around me was lit up and all I could see were good things and all I could reflect upon was how absolutely blessed I am. Challenges and low times became opportunities and anger became a chance for transformation. This experience has instilled in me a belief that when it comes to gratitude, we ought to take it to a new level. One of my great mentors, mentioned previously, says that when we really want to affect change, we have to work on it every day. With gratitude, I think it needs to be absolutely constant. Especially during low times and especially if you're REALLY looking to do something differently to create a new you.

This experiment is very reflective of Byron Katie's work and how she encourages people to turn their miseries around and find what it is they are grateful for in these things. In light of my experiment - which continues by the way - I am now challenging myself to find reasons why I'm grateful for the most upsetting, disruptive and difficult experiences of my life. While I continue to struggle to find reasons for a few things in particular, so far this has been an incredibly life-altering experiment.

If you're looking for ways to move and transform your misery, might I make a few recommendations:

1. The Gratitude Experiment (as described)
2. Kristi's Goal Ninjas program
3. The Work, by Byron Katie
4. Calling In The One, by Katherine Woodward Thomas

All of these pursuits, if done with intent and a genuine desire for change are REAL platforms for just that: positive change. I encourage you to BE the person of your wildest dreams. Today.

I am grateful for having written this blog post because it has helped me to reflect on my own journey towards greater awareness and personal change. Thank you for reading.

Roberta Shepherd for Prana Holistic

The blues are anything but colourful.

Van Gogh may have made it look beautiful, but depression is anything but. That feeling of despair, apathy, and lethargy weighs on your soul, and your shoulders, like a stone.

There are many theories on depression. One researcher once guessed that the problem could be a brain chemistry imbalance, but this has NEVER BEEN PROVEN. Even if you look on the labels of psycho-pharmaceuticals (drugs meant to change mood or mental state), they readily state the mechanism of action (how the drug affects your body) is "unknown". Yet drug prescriptions and psychiatry are now inextricably bound.

The problem is, these drugs have no proven efficacy  - raw data, even from studies commissioned by drug companies, almost always show a success rate no better than the Placebo Effect (i.e. Prozac is as effective as a sugar pill, or a tic tac, essentially, at relieving depression). Moreover, they have powerfully destructive side effects, including increased DEPRESSION and suicidal ideation! While the general population has a suicide rate that is less than your chance of being struck by lightening, those taking anti-depressants may be at a HIGHER risk. In the US army, for instance, there was a 76% increase in spending on psycho-pharmaceuticals from 2001-2009, and a corresponding 150% increase in the suicide rate.

One of the most interesting cases was the State of New York v. GlaxoSmithKline. By subpoenaing the raw data the drug manufacturer had manipulated to get FDA approval, the courts learned that, in the study where the manufacturer claimed that Paxil was safe and effective to use on kids, the kids on Paxil were actually
6x more likely to have suicidal thoughts. In addition, the raw data also showed that Paxil actually is no more effective at treating depression than placebo. 11 of the 93 kids in the study had serious side effects; 7 experienced such severe side effects they were hospitalized. Yet this information was omitted from the study submitted to the FDA for approval. The head psychiatrist who "authored" this study pocketed nearly $1 million dollars from various drug companies for lending his name to their marketing cause.

I say "marketing cause" because that is what the field of psychiatry has largely become - a drug marketing machine. They are using "suicide screenings" in schools on our kids now - 9/10 of the survey takers in one school were put on medications after this completely arbitrary and subjective checklist. There has even been the invention of new mental "diseases" that were actually created by drug companies (remember the ads about Social Anxiety Disorder that were everywhere a few years ago? That "diagnoses" was the brain child of a drug company, GlaxoSmithKline.) They have become so arrogant that they are actually just creating new diseases for us to be afraid of, and for them to profit from. And profit they do - the drug companies profit more than all of the other companies on Forbes 500 COMBINED! But I digress...

You have probably also seen in the news lately the possible connection of anti-depressants to cancer rates. The devastating array of problems these drugs cause long-term is only now beginning to be seen.

So, my point is this: drugs do not help depression generally, and where they do, the side effects and ensuing dependency negates any positive.

However, there is much evidence that underlying nutrition, digestive and hormonal imbalances, imbalances that can be actually objectively measured, are actually the root of depression. Emotional traumas are also involved, but these traumas are only masked by the taking of these dangerous and toxic drugs, not resolved.

If you want to resolve depression naturally, without the dangerous side effects and the total lack of effectiveness, we are happy to help. We have a package of services that WILL help to balance underlying physiological problems and help to relieve mental and emotional stress that are causing depression, WITHOUT the cancer, diabetes, or onset of suicidal thoughts. If you are interested, please email info@pranaholistic.ca for more information.

Value of a Life

What would you do to save your own life?

Let me answer that question - you would do almost anything. 

You would walk across coals, swim through sharks, lift cars, wrestle alligators, and do all number of other terrifying feats to reach the other side, where you heart still beats and your brain still lives. 

And yet ask someone to do ANYTHING to live the life they actually WANT to live, and you will be met with more resistance than ... um ... well, you will meet a great deal of resistance, the kind for which no metaphor can possibly convey.

Why are we so desperate to save our life if we don't even enjoy LIVING it?

So I ask you - what are you doing today to make your life not just continue, but passionate and LIVED?

Live, damn you, before my head explodes!

Kristi Shmyr

Be your own Hero

I just got back from a retreat in Scottsdale, Arizona. I jumped BIG the last quarter of 2010 and landed in a year-long mastermind/mentorship program, investing MANY thousands of dollars in ME and my big dreams. This retreat was the first of a year of pushing my expectations of myself and the number of people I can serve beyond what is comfortable into the realm of transformational, where I love to be. 

While there, I was discussing my program, Goal Ninjas, in a small mastermind within the larger group. The group began to discuss the name: Goal Ninjas. Because I primarily work with women, it was suggested that I should change the name as 

"women do not identify with being the warrior; they long, instead, to be the princess, and to be rescued".

I was shocked and, to be honest, offended by this idea. Is this really what women deeply, at their essence, want?

I sure hope not.

My whole life I have prided myself on being tough, resilient, motivated, and independent. I am fiercely passionate about creating the life I want. Yes, I have had issues with being rescued by my family, as the "baby", but there is nothing I long for more than to be successful, on my own terms and in my own right and by my own definitions. The thought of waiting for someone to bring me my dreams is foreign to me. I ... well, I just Do Not Compute. 

Women, are you waiting to be rescued, or are you ready to be your own hero?

Does your life depend on whether or not your prince arrives, or are you tackling the dragon all on your own?

I sure hope you are with me on this, ladies (gents too of course). Be your own hero - be the creator of your OWN kick-ass life.

Climb down your own damn hair, Rapunzel.

Kristi Shmyr,

Goal Ninja!

p.s. if you want help, not rescue, in creating the Kick Ass Life you Crave, join me for a free talk on how to do that, either this Thursday, Friday, or next Tuesday. Check out www.goalninjas.com/free-talks for more information.

Why are we dying?

Do you want to hear something amazing?

In Canada, chronic diseases account for 89% of all death in Canada!

Doesn't that astound you? And given that doctors, scientists, politicians and pretty much EVERYONE agrees that most chronic illness is 100% preventable, what the heck are we doing? Yes, of the illnesses that are killing us, it is estimated that 80% of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes is preventable through diet, exercise and lifestyle changes, and about 40% of cancer. 

Beyond the obvious cost to us on a social level, amazingly, this also costs us financially, as a society. It is estimated that we lost 500 million dollars in 2005 alone in national income just from premature deaths.

Does this disturb anyone else?

So, here at Prana, we are starting a movement. The World Health Organization estimates that if we reduced chronic illness by just 2%, over 10 years Canada would save 1 BILLION DOLLARS!

So what if we, as Edmontonians (interestingly, Edmonton is about 2% of the national population) did our part and reduced chronic illness here by 2%?

Join Prana Holistic's 2% Initiative. Do your part to reduce the incidence of chronic illness in Canada TODAY (it is about PREVENTION, emphasis on the "pre").

Here is what you can do:

• exercise for 3.5 hours a week, which reduces your incidence of all chronic disease by about 50%!!!!
• eat more vegetables. I know some of you out there are saying "they change what's healthy every week". Let me tell you - no one has ever said broccoli isn't healthy. Eating just 2 servings more of veggies a day, especially leafy greens, will reduce your incidence of chronic illness by about 15-40%!
• STOP SMOKING!!!! The National Cancer Institute predicts that even at the age of 50, stopping smoking reduces your risk of dying prematurely by 50%.
• cut down on sugar. New research shows what natural health practitioners always suspected: high intake of sugar raises your risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and liver disease (not to mention diabetes, which we already knew). Those are major factors in your risk for developing a chronic illness.
• keep your BMI below 30. Research shows this has the greatest influence on your risk for developing a chronic illness. To calculate your BMI, take your weight in pounds and multiply it by 703 and divide that number by your height, in inches, squared.

So Edmonton, let's embrace good health and turn our noses up at chronic diseases. The changes I suggested are simple, and really - What do we have to lose?

Kristi Shmyr

Prana Holistic

Becoming A Ninja At Life

I had the complete pleasure of being a participant in Kristi's fall Goal Ninjas program here at Prana, and I say with complete confidence and excitement that it changed my life! Let me tell you how.

First of all, I discovered that I'm not exactly in line with my true passion. In fact, I had even convinced myself that I "don't really identify with the word passion" - what a bunch of bollocks! I certainly DO identify with the word passion, I just hadn't aligned myself with something that makes me feel more passionate than anything else! By Kristi's skilled facilitation and questioning, as well as the processes that are presented through the Goal Ninjas program, I was able to discover where my true passion lies. Now, knowing what really entices passion within me, I can actively pursue that.


Secondly, I've been pursuing ongoing activities to change mental programs that I have that are no longer conducive to my personal success and advancement. These activities are designed to establish new mental programs that are positive and that contribute to my creating the life that I really desire instead of that which I formerly believed I deserved - far less than the best! One of these activities is called evidence journaling and here's how it works: every day for 90-days (new habits, including habitual thinking, should be established by practice over a 90-day period), I am recording evidence to prove the following new beliefs: 1) I am abundant, 2) I am attractive, 3) I am valuable, 4) I am worthwhile, and 5) I am complete (whole, perfect and complete just the way that I am). Amazing things are happening. I am pulling away from undermining thoughts and behaviors and finding all the more evidence to illustrate that leading an enriched and fulfilling life is my divine birth right! Moreover, I am actually beginning to embody the fact that I deserve the absolute best that IS available to me in this universe.

As far as I'm concerned, these are amazing and incredibly impactful paradigm shifts that may not have happened (or at least not as soon) had I not participated in the Goal Ninjas program. I believe that everyone deserves to know that they are worthy of the very best the world has to offer. I also strongly believe that each and every person who thinks otherwise of themselves or who isn't seeming to achieve what they really want or who's just plain unhappy can't afford NOT to pursue the Goal Ninjas program. And...I really don't care if I come across as being biased since Kristi is my friend and colleague - that's how fired up I am about what Goal Ninjas has to offer!

If you want to read more about the concepts of Goal Ninjas, check out my recent column in SEE Magazine: Un-Google Your Mind, or, if you want to know more about the program, check out goalninjas.com. If you'd like to sign up for the program, which I, obviously, highly encourage you to do, please contact Kristi at: kristi@pranaholistic.ca, or give us a call on 780.454.5299.

Happy 2011 everyone! Here's to your becoming a ninja at life!

Roberta Shepherd for Prana Holistic

Snow Piles ... of opportunity!

Ok, cheesy title. And if you know me at all, you know that I am not a "cheerleader"; I think telling people to "think positive" is trite and condescending. Yet I cannot help but see the opportunity, the "positive", in all this snow. For instance:

1. What other time of year is it common to see perfect strangers helping each other by pushing a car out of snow? I love that! I honestly, with every degree of sincerity, enjoy helping to push vehicles out of the snow. To me, it's fun.

2. Free, productive exercise! Want an amazing full body workout? Well, get your shovel out. There is pounds of free weights out there to lift and push and throw! Just be careful to lift with your legs, not your back! Even just walking in the snow is a much bigger workout than regular walking.

3. Rosy Glow. Everyone looks better with a rosy glow from the cold. Make sure you spend time outside every day, enjoying the sunshine and the cold air. And yes, we do have sunshine still.

4. Lastly, snow is pretty. It is. And it is here, so you best enjoy it! Whether or not you love all of the amazing snow sports out there, take advantage of the fact that we have this unique gift. Don't think it's a gift?

I spent one Christmas in Texas, minutes from the Mexican border. On Christmas Eve, it snowed, for the first time in 100 years. People were beside themselves. At midnight, children were running out onto the street to see the wonder of the snow falling. It was amazing. Even all of the Canadians were giddy, so happy to see their familiar fluffy, white friend in such an unexpected place. Try to view snow like it is the first time and the last time you will see it; view it with the awe and amazement that nature deserves.

And stop complaining about it!

Kristi Shmyr

Jump THEN Learn to Fly

I met a new friend recently who gave such a wonderful example of my goal getting philosophy of "Jump, THEN learn to fly". She went down to South America and found a health product that amazed her. She asked if they had it in North America - they didn't, but wanted a distributor. She offered to be the North American distributor, but they told her she needed to be an importer. She wasn't. Now here's the great part. Most people would have backed off and walked away. Not my new Goal Ninja Friend. She said she was, and then came back and Googled "How to Become an Importer"! She incorporated a name and voila! She was an importer with distributor rights to a product she believed in. 

Now THAT'S how it's done!

Kristi Shmyr
Goal Ninja and owner of Prana Holistic

Are we Investors or Fund-raisers?

Did you know that world wide, we have raised about $4 TRILLION dollars in money to fund cancer research?

Does that scare anyone else?

We all know someone who has cancer, who has survived cancer, or tragically died from this terrible disease. I have lost all four of my grandparents to cancer, and many dear friends. I know the draw to do ANYTHING to help prevent cancer is strong. And we are constantly inundated with opportunities to fund raise for cancer research. Yet...what are we accomplishing besides the creation of a multi-billion dollar pharma industry?

The pharmaceutical industry has 625 lobbyists maintaining their economic interest in the States (where we, like it or not, are heavily influenced by). That means that drug lobbyists outnumber the actual number of members of Congress! In 2007, the U.S's pharmaceutical industry raked in $315 BILLION. In Fortune 500 surveys, the Pharmaceutical industry is THE most profitable industry - period. Research and development was over $65 billion of that cost - 26% of the drugs currently being researched are cancer drugs, more than any other category of drug. We are running, walking, biking and frantically raising money for pharmaceutical companies to turn around and charge us for drugs they used OUR money to develop! Where is our cure? Not to be over cynical, but the cure is not the goal. Your cash is.

In 2007, a study found that vitamin D and calcium supplementation seems to reduce incidence of cancer rates by 77% (no drug does this). The World Health Organization says that 70% of cancer is preventable through diet and lifestyle changes. Why aren't we saving our money and investing it in prevention, that is PROVEN to work? Easy answer - not as glamorous. There are no TV crews around when you go to the gym, or eat broccoli, or see your natural health practitioner. There is no story there. But we have been brainwashed to believe that raising funds for research is the answer to our cancer woes.

Lately in the news I have been hearing about the WONDERFUL news that survivor rates are up 6% over the past 18 years. I wondered if this was due to more cancers with a higher survivability rate - and I was right. Thyroid cancer rates have been growing by 10% a year. Melanoma and prostate cancer rates are also rising. These three cancers have the highest survivability rates. So does an increase in the average 5 year survival rate MEAN anything? Or is it we are just getting more of the cancers that we are more likely to survive?

My plea to you is to think twice about where your donations are going - is your money better spent on prevention and good health? I think so.

Kristi Shmyr

Prana Holistic

Is there a success formula?

Learning the secrets and the "rules" of success is a passion of mine. I have spent the past 7 years studying, reading, listening and attending seminars on this topic, and hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours later, here are some of the things I have figured out: 1. You need a big "why" for any goal. This is your reason for doing what you do, and this reason has to be big enough to get you out of bed, and keep you working when you "don't feel like it". Without this, you get temporarily motivated, excited and passionate, but it will never last. You will set goals, New Years' Resolutions, and make promises to yourself, but you won't have the will to keep going when that initial burst of conviction wears off. 2. You need to understand your reasons for NOT wanting to achieve. Sounds strange, but our mind does not keep us from success to be mean; there is always a benefit your subconscious mind sees to stay exactly as you are, without your goal. Finding out what that is and resolving it is critical to your success. 3. The best way to tell your future is to create it. I see no reason to leave the content of you future up to chance. If you really want to achieve success, you need a very clear image of how you define that success. What does it look like, feel like, and sound like? Don’t limit yourself, because there are possibilities you could not even imagine from where you currently are, but get an idea. Since energy cannot be created nor destroyed, everything you want already exists; it simply needs to change form. Hold that image long enough and it will be drawn to you as you move towards it. 4. Act. Notice I said it will be drawn to you as you move towards it. I truly believe the universe can only do for you what it can do through you; waiting for your dreams to rain down from the sky will leave you waiting a great deal. Get clear and focused and then take inspired action, huge action, that makes your dreams inevitable. 5. Never stop readjusting and realigning. Success, like life, is never static. It will require you to be dynamic and changeable. Our knowledge doubles every 3 years, so you CANNOT keep doing what you have always done and expect to even stay the same; if you refuse to evolve, you are not only refusing to grow, you are actually DE-volving. Realign your goals and your actions with your purpose constantly. And embrace change; it is, ironically, the only constant. 6. Practice, and then simply let go and trust. Success requires practice. Just as working out for 5 days for 1 minute will not transform your body, inconsistent action and focus on your goals will not transform your life. You need to bring structure and order to any area that you want to be successful in. After that, comes the easiest and yet most difficult task – letting go and trusting that what you desire is already coming. This work is my passion. If you resonate with this Success Formula and want to learn more, I invite you to join Goal Ninjas: 6 Steps to the Kick Ass Life you Crave, starting November 6, 2010. If you want to learn more, check out www.goalninjas.com, or call Kristi at 780.454.5299

Flu Season

Not to rush the seasons, but the flu season is approaching again. Before that happens, I would like to get an early jump on helping my followers make the best decisions about their health.

I have been watching an amazing interview with Dr. Mercola and Barbara Loe Fisher, founder of the National Vaccine Information Center. 

The most shocking and enlightening comment in this fantastic interview, was this.

Products containing mercury, like any vaccine containing Thirmesol, CANNOT BE DISPOSED OF in a regular manner as they are considered HAZARDOUS WASTE! And yet we are encouraged to have them injected into our bodies?

Please watch the video at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/21/barbara-loe-fisher-on-flu-vaccine-changes.aspx 

I also wanted to point out this comment from Dr. Mercola on the vaccines effectiveness on the elderly, one of the main targets for these vaccines:

Flu Vaccine Does Not Prevent Death in Elderly, CDC Director Admits

Clearly, what the pharmaceutical industry would love for you to believe is that the flu vaccine is going to somehow magically protect you from dying from the flu, when in fact the evidence couldn't be more clear -- It doesn't work at all in the elderly! And the data is flimsy at best when it comes to children and adults.
In fact, in April, Michael Osterholm, director of the national Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), publicly admitted that flu shots don't work in the elderly.
We also know the flu vaccine is fraught with side effects and health complications, so many people are literally receiving zero benefit and all risk when getting this vaccine!       ~ Dr. Mercola, MD

Educate you and your family before making your flu vaccine decisions this fall. I trust you to make the best decision for you, but I just want to make sure you see all sides of this story.

To a healthy season, now and in the future!

Kristi Shmyr

Prana Holistic

Fleeting Summer Days

I love Edmonton in the summer.

There. I said it.

It seems to me that's not a particularly popular opinion - to actually enjoy where you currently live. But I have always been a bit of a rebel.

The Fringe Festival is on right now, it's still sunny and warm, but the nights have cooled significantly. You can eat outside or in, and ice cream still feels like a totally reasonable "I need to cool down" purchase. I love it. 

I have been happily enjoying our short summer season, blissfully unaware that fall has been silently slipping in and touching the trees already. Yes, saw my first yellow leaves on the trees. Blerg.

So today's post isn't particularly relevant to my business, but simply a Happiness Call to Action. Enjoy the last days of summer. I truly believe how you do anything is how you do everything, so if you are waiting for the kids to be out of the house, or retirement, or whatever, to actually get out there and enjoy summer, know that you will ALWAYS be in a state of waiting. Seize the day and enjoy the sun. It doesn't last forever. 

Do you get that I am not just talking about summer here? 

Kristi Shmyr

Prana Holistic

Stress: Your Mental Perceptions. So How Can You Cope?

Stress: BLAH! For the most part, not many of us can claim to be non-stressed. Perhaps in a single moment, your perception of the world and yourself does not include an overpowering feeling of stress, but surely, as your day proceeds, you can notice at least some experience of stress. Some people proceed through their days in a constant state of feeling "stressed out". Even "good" things can create an experience of stress that perhaps we consider to be "good" stress. I don't suppose "good" stress is something worth trying to change. Rather, it's our experience of "bad" stress that we all need help coping with. Stress inevitably leads to ill-health that can manifest as minor aches and pains, colds and flu (since stress depletes the immune system), chronic conditions and even degenerative illnesses. It is estimated that 90 per cent of illnesses and disease are related to stress - no kidding!

So where does stress start? Stress is a mental perception, so I do believe that it starts within our mental faculties of being. For example, when Caleb (my son) throws his food on the floor, I perceive stress, which I feel physically and that sometimes gives me a feeling as though I'm going to explode in anger (as embarrassing as that is for me to admit, let's be honest here). Meanwhile, I see how Caleb's dad interacts with him, and he is very laid back and non-reactive while Caleb throws his food around and makes a mess: he simply lets Caleb know that that's not okay, and proceeds with life. In reality, nothing is being altered to the point of negatively affecting my life nor is anyone being hurt when Caleb throws his food on the floor, so why do I perceive stress? Well, my mom keeps a very clean house and has always spent lots of time and energy maintaining that and clearly perceiving stress when it's not that way. Now, before proceeding, let me clarify that I adored my childhood, I love my mother dearly and I know damn well that we, as parents, do the very best that we can with the resources that are available to us in each passing moment. I say all that in order that it doesn't seem that I'm placing blame when I say that surely, that's where my mental perception of: messy house = stress, is coming from.

Now, I realize that changing the mental belief that a messy house is stressful is what is really necessary in order that this not ride me like it does. I mean, Caleb's a toddler and I best be getting used to messes if I want to proceed through his childhood with ease and minimal stress. In the meantime, I need to focus on how I can cope with my perception of stress in response to Caleb's creating messes. There are many ways of coping with stress to the best of your ability. At the end of the day, the fact that stress is a part of daily living is not going to change, it's OUR way of coping, thinking and behaving that is subject to change. I'm going to encourage you to start with deep abdominal breathing. For a more in depth explanation, please check out my most recent column: Take A Deep Breath... for SEE Magazine. For a video on how to do deep abdominal breathing and for more tips and ideas on how to reduce your stress, please check out The Ultimate Stress Seminar: this also offers you the opportunity to sign up for Kristi and I's upcoming FREE teleseminar dedicated to helping you live an easy and stress-free life. Finally, for help with changing your thoughts and beliefs that are keeping you stressed out (ie: messy house = stress), please check out Goal Ninjas: Kristi's passionate pursuit to lead you on a journey towards the life you crave!

What are your most regular perceptions of stress? What are your best ways of coping with perceived stress? Your comments are really important to us, so do us a favour and leave one...or two...or more! We want to hear from you!

Roberta Shepherd for Prana Holistic

Constipated? Just poop!

When we talk about letting go, in terms of health, often it can mean letting go of more than just emotions. Constipation is one of the most common chronic conditions in the western world, and as funny as this baby makes it look, anyone who knows the heaviness, bloating and lethargy that accompanies constipation knows it ain't no joke! So what do you do to relieve constipation? I have some ideas! Ask a reflexologist to show you where you colon is on your feet, or check online (or even better, get a session - it's very therapeutic, and worse case scenario - you get a fantastic foot rub!). Reflexology is AMAZING for relieving a "back up in your back end". Babies and young children especially respond quickly. My 2 year old niece's feet were congested in the colon area, so I rubbed them for 5 minutes. Within 10 minutes she had a bowel movement so large it could pass for an adult's. Too much information, you say? Get over it - it's natural! Avoid harsh herbs like cascara sagrada and senna, as well as laxatives. They can intensify the very symptoms they are meant to treat, cause cramping, and with overuse can even cause liver problems. Instead, opt for peppermint and ginger teas to gently promote digestion and ease tension. Eat more raw, living foods, and take digestive enzymes. Raw fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and even meat have enzymes that are critical to your digestion; without them, especially as you age, you won't be able to process your meals as easily and constipation (as well as fatigue, weight gain and headaches, just to name a few symptoms) will result. After age 35, it is also recommended that you supplement with Betaine (from beet root) that mimics your stomachs hydrochloric acid, which lowers significantly as you age. In the morning, as soon as you wake up, drink 1-2 glasses of tepid to warm water, pace around while rubbing your entire abdomen area in a clockwise fashion, paying special attention to any tender or tight areas. Then, regardless of the need or not, sit on the toilet for a minute with your knees elevated (use a low stool or stack of magazines). Do this everyday for a week and you will train your body to have a morning bowel movement. Get a massage therapist trained in abdominal massages (we have Leila for this!) to work out tension in your abdomen and help your system restore its natural elimination. Often, organs can become "stuck" and releasing them will also help you release your poop! If you're constipated, its time to let go. Start with these 5 tips and you are well on your way to a happier tummy!

Summer Food, healthified

Summer is the time for fun food, right? Barbecues and patios, slushy drinks and finger food. But the problem is, most of that isn't all that good for you. 

"Shut up, Kristi".

That's what you're thinking, right? "Who cares, and stop ruining my summer fun"!

I think you SHOULD enjoy some fun food and drink, guilt-free this summer. But why not make some minor changes to make your barbecue and your beach body friends!

Idea #1: Fish tacos: 

This is a fresh, fun treat in the summer. Make a spicy rub with cayenne (revs the metabolism for a leaner body, easier), paprika, garlic and onion powder, and salt, rub it into some fresh halibut (healthy, healthy fish), and throw it on the BBQ. Then cook up a little rice (remember, rice is a SIDE DISH, so small amount, and use brown or a nice wild blend), add some beans (kidney or black or whatever you have), and make some fresh guacamole with avocado, diced peppers and onions, garlic, lemon juice and a dash of sea salt. Add fresh salsa (diced tomatos, onions, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice), put it all in nice big lettuce leaves (healthier than taco shells, and much fresher in taste) and you have an incredible, easy and healthy meal!

Idea #2: Fun Slushy drink:

Add coconut milk, pineapple and ice in a blender and make a fun, healthier drink. Coconut milk is great for hormone health, full of healthy fats, and tasty, and pineapple is not only fresh and flavourful, but has natural enzymes that help you digest better, as well as decrease inflammation. Add some rum if you are feeling especially crazy, but don't overdo it or you'll undo all of your healthy work!

Add a fresh salad (I love watermelon, mint, feta, red onion and a splash of vinegar - sounds like a weird salad, but so good!) and you have a healthy BBQ. Then get the gang playing Frisbee or football and being active and you have a healthy weekend of fun and food!

Kristi Shmyr

Prana Holistic

My Friend John Asaraf, chilling with me!

Here I am, chilling with my new friend John Asaraf, of The Secret fame, in San Diego.

That's just how I roll!

Kristi Shmyr

Your Ego is Your Amigo!

Most self-help books, programs and experts will tell you that in order to achieve a truly happy life, you need to forgo the evil "ego".

Unless you intend to live your days on a mountain top in the lotus position
DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS GARBAGE!

If you want to live a life integrated into society, ANY society, you need to appreciate and respect your ego and work WITH it, not against it.

Working against it will only force your ego to work against you and sabotage your efforts, something I think we are all familiar with (has your head ever convinced you, mid-diet, that it doesn't matter if you eat a whole bag of cookies? That's your ego sabotaging you!)

So how do you avoid this? You have to respect the ego, and the survival brain, and enroll it in your goal.

We will go into this in much greater detail in our September Goal Ninja Bootcamp, including exercises on enrolling your ego, but in the meantime, here's something to keep in mind:

Get clear on what you fear would happen if you pursue or achieve a goal. Those fears are your ego's way of keeping you safe and are there for your safety and protection. Once you start listening to your fears with respect and acknowledging the important role they play in your life, you will have a better chance of your ego allowing you to proceed with your dreams.

If you are interested in achieving your goals and dreams, please go to www.goalninjas.com for more information on our upcoming Goal Ninjas Bootcamp.

Kristi Shmyr
Prana Holistic