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

The Answers Are In Your Irises!

I was first introduced to the practice of iridology while in college studying to be a holistic health practitioner. What an amazing and phenomenal method! I was immediately drawn in by iridology as soon as it was presented to us in class.

Iridology is the fascinating practice of examining markings within the irises of the eyes to discover inherent or developed weaknesses in particular systems, organs and/or glands. By knowing where your weaknesses lie, you can then apply specific recommendations that will work to strengthen and improve overall function of those systems, organs and/or glands.

The story of the discovery of iridology goes like this: in the early 1800s, a young lad called Ignatz Von Peczely caught an owl in his garden. As boy and owl struggled, Von Peczely accidentally broke the owl's leg. He noticed a black marking rise in the iris of the owl in response to the break. Von Peczely nursed the owl back to health and the owl kept returning to Von Peczely's garden for some time after the incident. Over this time, Von Peczely noticed the progression of the marking in the owl's iris from black line, to white, crooked lines, and then to a small black spot surrounded by white lines and shading. Von Peczely was intrigued by the progression of this marking and so was born the notion of iridology. Von Peczely pursued a career as a physician and was thus able to further pursue his idea that the irises reflect the condition of tissues within the internal system. Throughout his career, he observed numerous cases that proved a considerable basis for the practice of iridology.

The iris is the part of the eye that carries colour, a very complex combination of tissues and an extension of the brain. The irises are able to reflect all organs, glands and systems of the body by their connections to them via the brain and nervous system. By these connections, nerve fibres in the irises respond to alterations in body tissues and reveal these changes, whether acute or chronic, as different markings upon the irises.  

By iridology, a practitioner is able to detect whether a person has a strong or weak constitution, under or over-acidity of the stomach, stress, acute, sub acute, chronic or degenerative stages of dysfunction, poor circulation, congested lymphatics and predispositions to different types of diseases. 

Iridology does not seek to diagnose but rather to read the condition of tissues. In this way, iridology presents as a wonderful tool for practitioners to discover how to best address an individual's health and wellness. For example, if a person had dark markings on the area of the irises that correspond to the kidneys and urinary system, the practitioner could make recommendations for strengthening this system. By strengthening the body where it's weaknesses lie, overall function is drastically improved because all systems work together to impart optimal wellness. 

If, as the old proverb goes, the eyes are the windows of the soul, then the practice of iridology presents the idea that the eyes are also a mirror of the internal system. 

At Prana Holistic, iridology is used in application during an assessment. If you're confused about which direction to take with improving your health, call us to book an assessment - a very thorough investigation of your well-being and a presentation of how we think you ought to best proceed.

Check out SEE Magazine this coming Thursday for my column on iridology.

Roberta Shepherd for 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

Calorie Wise or Otherwise?

I don't think I need to draw additional attention to the idea of a "low-fat" diet. Low-fat products are all around us and following a low-fat diet is recommended by many physicians, especially to those who are overweight or with high blood pressure or cholesterol levels. Under these circumstances, I bet no one ever considered the possibility that a calorie-wise dietary regime might not be so wise!

Fat is a healthy component of each person's diet. But ALL FATS ARE NOT EQUAL. For lack of better words, there are "good" fats and "bad" fats. "Good" fats such as unsaturated oils like olive, sunflower, safflower, evening primrose, borage, nuts and seeds and their oils and fatty fish and their oils make many positive contributions to our health. "Good" fats function to generate energy, create and maintain cell membranes, insulate and protect, improve nerve and organ function, discourage fat storage and create prostaglandins. As already reviewed in my recent blog about evening primrose oil, prostaglandins mimic the action of hormones in the body to such positive effect as reducing inflammation. Consuming "good" fats can help mental and nervous system disorders, diabetes, PMS, heart disease, skin and joint disorders. Moreover, "good" fats help improve digestion, prostate and breast health and contribute to a healthy pregnancy and post-pregnancy, especially improving the quality of breast milk.

Saturated fats, in excess, are "bad" fats that cause health problems over time. Saturated fats are found primarily in animal protein, butter and coconut oil and are solid at room temperature. This is not to say that saturates ought to be 100% cut out from the diet, but rather that moderation is key.

Low-fat products aren't doing anyone any favours. Depending on the nature of the "low-fat", "diet" or "calorie-wise" product, there may be artificial sweeteners in the ingredients list and artificial sweeteners are absolutely  toxic to the human body. Furthermore, low-fat products have been more processed than products that are left with fat in tact. And, just to be redundant, chances are that the fat that was otherwise in that product was healthful in nature.

Our society is one of excessive consumption. Those who are recommended to avoid fats would do better to avoid low-fat products and moderate their intake of dietary fats, putting focus upon the "good" fats and being mindful of "bad" fats. Again, the fats that are considered "bad" are only classified as so when they are consumed excessively. So slow down, enjoy your food - even food with fat included - and be moderate!

For more information on just how atrocious the ingredients in low-fat products can be, check out my recent column for SEE Magazine: Low-Fat May Be Highly Bad For You

Roberta Shepherd for Prana Holistic

Fear of the scary, holistic unknown

"Holistic Health and Alternative Medicine are dangerous and irresponsible!"

One of our Prana Holistic Practitioners has recently started writing for See Magazine, an Edmonoton-based free newspaper (click here for Roberta's latest article on "Lymphatics"). Her first article was a simple introduction to her philosophy on health - click here to read her introductory article. This article, seemingly non-inflammatory as it is, provoked an angry letter. 


Although I won't share the exact contents of the letter, the gist was this: holistic health is dangerous. It has no value. There are no double-blind studies proving its efficacy. It cannot claim to save lives, like conventional medicine. Any effects seen by holistic health or alternative health are purely placebo.


It is wonderful to start a conversation about this, so let's do that.


First, I would like to address the argument that all resulting improvements from Holistic health modalities are the result of the placebo effect. The argument that there are "no double-blind, placebo-controlled studies being done" in this area, is simply untrue. Yes, studies are limited, but this is primarily due to lack of funding and corporate interest. Drug companies and large corporations often fund studies; the motivation to fund in an area of low profitability is correspondingly low. 


I will 100% concede that the placebo effect accounts for much of the results observed in any healing practice. But 30% of all conventional treatments is proven to be placebo as well. Drugs like Sertraline (including Zoloft), a popular anti-depressant, is criticized for being almost exclusively placebo effect, meaning the drug does no more to help depression than a sugar pill would. This effect is not limited just to conventional medicine; surgery also appears to be affected by the placebo effect. A study on arthroscopic knee surgery divided individuals into a group who underwent knee surgery and a group, who unbeknownst to them, had a "sham" surgery (were put under, had incisions and were then promptly sewn up without treatment). Both groups reported no pain one year after the surgery, regardless of whether it was real or fake. 

The author of the letter to SEE dismisses acupuncture because one study showed similar effects - a "sham" acupuncture session resulted, for this one specific problem, to be just as effective as "real" acupuncture. Shall we dismiss surgery as a whole as well because it is seemingly wholly placebic (just made that word up!) in its affect for this one surgery?

Conventional medicine lays on a foundation of placebo to the SAME degree alternative medicine does.

I also think it is remarkable that this individual, and so many like him, unquestioningly reference the Placebo Effect as fact, yet refuse to acknowledge energy healing. The very nature of the Placebo Effect is that thought (non-matter) effects things (matter/your body). It is proof that Quantum Physics, not old, matter-based Newtonian Physics, are where answers to better health lie. And it is an acknowledgment that energy (thought) can affect physiology.

There are many reasons why I think this is a wonderful debate to bring out into the open. Unfortunately, this particular effort to debate this topic, like so many I have seen in this field, seems profoundly based in fear of the unknown and ignorance. 

Something to chew on!

Yours in good health,

 

Kristi Shmyr
Prana Holistic
10138 121st Edmonton
www.pranaholistic.ca