The root of survival...

Our root chakra or energy center...

Sanskrit name...Muladhara...'support or root'
physical needs, basic human survival, security, stability, work. ..group identity..
red................
Verbs...I HAVE
Grounded to earth...fight or flight...adrenals..
link between root chakra and gravity constantly pulling us downward, connecting us to our material existence

too open....bullying, overly materialistic, self-centered, physical foolhardiness
Blocked...emotionally needy, low self esteem, self destructive behavior, stuck, fearful
Balanced...demonstrates self mastery, high physical activity, grounded, healthy

dysfunctional...victim, mental lethargy, spaciness, unfocused mind difficulty achieving goals,
incapable of stillness

Physical dysfunction...osteoarthritis
ass body part...bones and skeletal structure
Glandular connection...adrenals
sense...smell
Societal association....tribal power and family identity.
Life lesson...standing up for oneself.
main issues....survival and physical needs.
developmental age...1-8 years
Archetypes...Earth mother, Victim

This energy center keeps us grounded. It is all about tribal belonging and we search to be part of a family and fit in. The bottom three chakras has to do with how we fit into the world around us, how we move and flow with it. It is all about us and everyone around us.

It is important to be grounded whilst reaching for the stars and developing the rest of our identity. Usually a strong family structure or tribal belonging helps form stable and healthy individuals.
If we feel safe and loved we can move freely and joyfully through this world. If our needs are met as a child we are more confident and secure.

An Apple a day.....

Below is the articlle on the positive effects phytonutrients (as compared to statin therapy), can have on our health.

 As was pointed out in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 78, No. 3, 517S-520S, September 2003, it would appear that the "Health benefits of fruit and vegetables are from additive and synergistic combinations of phytochemicals are the best". 

So, the addition of a "Greens Drink" containing phytochemicals from both fruits and vegetables (such as Dynamic Greens or Phytoganix), to a healthy diet, might be even a better idea than just the apple polyphenols, flavonoids and glycans,  alone.

 

Heartwire

An Apple (or Statin) a Day Will Keep the Doctor Away: Population Health Analysis

December 18, 2013

OXFORD, UK — So, that old chestnut your mother told you turns out to be rooted in valid, scientific evidence: eating an apple a day really would keep the doctor away[1].

In fact, according to the new analysis by British researchers, if individuals ate just one extra apple a day, approximately 8500 deaths from vascular disease could be prevented in the UK.

The reduction in vascular deaths by adding an apple to the diet is on par with the reduction that would be observed if all UK individuals over 50 years of age were prescribed statin therapy. In that scenario, 9400 deaths from vascular disease could be prevented if these adults were started on simvastatin 40 mg.

"Statins and apples are both iconic," lead researcher Dr Adam Briggs (University of Oxford, UK) told heartwire . "An apple a day is known throughout the English-speaking world as a saying for health, and statins are now some of the most widely prescribed drugs in the world. So, when you now have a debate in the medical world about increasing the amount of statins prescribed for primary prevention, we wanted to look at what that would mean for population health and if there were other ways of doing it."

In the US, as reported by heartwire , the new American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association(ACC/AHA) guidelines for the management of cholesterol suggest treating primary-prevention patients if they have an LDL-cholesterol level between 70 and 189 mg/dL and a 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease >7.5%. In the UK, the guidelines are less aggressive and recommend statin therapy for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease if the 10-year risk score is >20%.

However, Briggs said there is debate in UK about expanding the use of statins to all patients 50 years of age or older.

"What we're trying to say from this analysis is that dietary changes initiated at the population level can have a really meaningful effect on population health," he said. "And second, so can increasing drug prescriptions. Now, we're not trying to say that people should be swapping their statins for apples; that's not where we're going. However, if they want to add an apple to that as part of disease prevention, then by all means do so, because you'll be further along in reducing your risk of fatal heart attacks and strokes."

The new report is published December 17, 2013 in the Christmas issue of BMJ. In addition to this "Comparative Proverb Assessment Modelling Study" by Briggs and colleagues, the lighthearted Christmas issue includes research that takes a  longitudinal look at virgin births in the US to raise awareness about the need for sex education, while another "meta-narrative analysis" looks at why individuals follow bad celebrity medical advice.

Apples Are Both Nutritious and Delicious

To assess the potential benefits of putting more patients on statins, the researchers used data from theCholesterol Treatment Trialists' meta-analysis that showed vascular mortality is reduced 12% for every 1.0-mmol/L reduction in LDL cholesterol. This was applied to the annual reduction in vascular mortality rates in UK individuals 50 years of age or older who were not currently taking a statin for primary disease prevention.

For the apple-a-day assessment, they used a widely published risk-assessment model (PRIME). This model includes a multitude of dietary variables, in which investigators can substitute different food choices to assess the effects on population health. The apple was assumed to weigh 100 g, and calorie intake was assumed to remain constant. This allowed investigators to assess the effect of substituting in one apple daily on vascular mortality in the UK population.

For statin therapy, offering the treatment to an extra 17 million individuals and assuming 70% compliance would prevent 9400 vascular deaths each year. Assuming 70% compliance with the apple, even though "apples are of course both delicious and nutritious," say the researchers, the estimated reduction in vascular deaths would be 8500. They add that prescribing statins to all those eligible would lead to 1200 cases of myopathy, 200 cases of rhabdomyolysis, and 12 300 new diagnoses of diabetes mellitus.

Interestingly, the cost of statin therapy from the drug alone would be £180 million compared with £260 million for the apples. However, the authors point out that the National Health Services (NHS) might be able to negotiate apple price freezes ("although defrosted apples may not be so palatable," they add).

To heartwire , Briggs said he was surprised at how well the apples compared with statin therapy. However, he stressed the point is not to encourage patients to stop taking their medication. He points out that the UK has a "five-a-day" campaign to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, but 69% of the population do not meet the recommendations.

Having now studied the science underlying an apple a day for keeping the doctor away, the group jokingly states they will next "model the effect of inquisitiveness on feline mortality rates."

Briggs, along with coauthors Drs Anja Mizdrak and Peter Scarborough (University of Oxford) report no conflicts of interest. Briggs consumes at least five fruits and vegetables per day, Mizdrak tries to, and Scarborough is a vegetarian. All their diets include apples. None of the researchers take statins, and all "purport to be under 50 years old."

 

References

1.   Briggs AD, Mizdrak A, Scarborough P. A statin a day keeps the doctor away: comparative proverb assessment modelling study. BMJ 2013; DOI: 10.1136/bmj.f7267. Available at: http://www.bmj.com.

How to feel Go(o)d....Candice Pert

I loved molecules of Emotion by Candice Pert and shortly after hearing of her passing I found this wonderful piece out of another book of hers, sent to me by Hay House and it resonated with me and I wanted to share it with all of you in honor of this great scientist and beautiful woman who made a huge difference in how we view the link between our biology, science and our emotions.

It's as simple as just feeling good....


Everything You Need to Know to Feel Go(o)d
by Candace Pert, Ph.D.

Play and Laughter are vital to feeling good. Recreation isn’t merely a frivolous addition to life or a hard-earned reward for work, two beliefs stemming from early Puritanical times. I believe that in a society driven by a strong work ethic, with so many individuals burdened with workaholism, people aren’t getting enough endorphinergic surges through their bodymind on a daily basis.

For you to not be laughing and playing during some part of every day is unnatural and goes against your fundamental biochemistry. I recommend that you consciously seek out opportunities to cut loose every day, scheduling them into your calendar, if necessary. Here are a few of my favorite ways to get those daily chuckles.

-Rent a stupid, funny movie and let yourself enjoy it.
-Dance for ten minutes to your favorite rock music.
-Play with small children and let them tickle you.
-Call someone up and tell a joke. Make sure the person knows why you’re doing it,       so he or she can call someone and do the same thing.
-Most of all, don’t wait until you’re depressed or in a low mood to do something      playful.

Be spontaneous! Include play every day as part of what you do naturally, like brushing your teeth or going to the gym to work out.
Finally don’t worry about looking foolish. The only time you really look silly is when you’re popping pills from a bottle while your natural pharmaceuticals are just waiting to be released from every cell of your bodymind.

Just my Friday morning mind trip...

When the mind is chattering to fast and the thoughts not uplifting me, I find that it is time to sit on the ground. I love soft patches of grass or beach sand or any river bank works well for me. Reconnect to earth and listen. Listen to the wind talking through the trees, listen to the grass waving in the wind. Feel the chill in the air as nature tells you that winter is coming.

I think it is why I love the book, The Alchemist by  Paulo Coelho...the boy listened to the world around him, where ever he found himself, and it guided him along the way.

The mind is a tool, and we can use it to create whatever we want, through our thoughts. Our emotions are the assistant tool to the mind/thoughts, they tell us the prevailing energy of our thoughts, our mind, determining what we will attract. Our thoughts are either uplifting us or bringing us down. When we think of what we don't want or things that will bring us what we don't want, we feel down and inversely when we feel uplifted, we are usually thinking of something we want or have that makes us happy.

( my thoughts where interrupted by my husband Carl calling. It immediately lifted me up and brought good feelings of love and gratitude. I love him for who he is and all the wonderful changes he has helped create in my life and it makes me feel happy, uplifted)

Our love and how it makes me feel is an aid at a time when I need to shift my energy from a low frequency to a higher one (from what I don't want, to what I do have and more of what I do wish to have)
With the energy of appreciating and loving what we already have, we create the frequency/ energy to attract the life we wish to experience, the person we chose to be etc.

It is up to us to find the things (tools) that can help us feel happy and uplifted all the time.
I have mentioned two of the tools that seems to work for me, but I have many more that I have accumulated along my journey in life and the most important one for me, is emotional clearing/healing.
My feeling is that I am responsible for the world and situations I find myself in at all times. I question what I see and feel and pay attention to the things and situations in my life that solicit the most intense feelings, good or bad.  Through these instances I recognize that world around me is communicating with me AND how I am interacting with it. (The energy that I am feeling and putting out there) It also gives me the clues as to what wounds or triggers I may have that need to be healed/cleared. (so I don't keep putting out there what I don't like or desire)

I am lucky that emotional clearing and healing is my passion and know that it helps me to be healthy in body, mind and spirit. I have a whole network of healers that I work with for my personal healing and I love sharing what I have learned and experienced through my interactions and in my own practice.

Time Travel

Time travel….

We all do and we do it all the time…Music, fragrances, sounds, they all take us back in time. What is actually difficult is to stay present, to be here now. To fully experience and enjoy the NOW.
Even if now means experiencing pain or sadness…allowing ourselves to fully feel it and then allowing it to flow through us and opening that space for new and more powerful things.

Time travel is great and can even be enjoyable but it always takes you out of the present and then how can you accept the gifts and wisdom this very moment may bring?

The Energy Centers revealed

Even though it may seem like the subject on chakras may have been beaten to death already, I feel the need to add my two cents worth on this amazing concept of vortexes of energy spinning around in our bodies. The each have such unique characteristics and layers when explored in depth.

As many know the word Chakra in Sanskrit means wheel...a wheel or vortex of energy spinning at its own unique frequency, allowing various organs, connections and emotions to flow naturally through us. When all is in balance and harmony energy flows freely and the frequencies of these energy centers are exactly what they are meant to be.
However when an imbalance occurs it can affect many different systems and can lead to triggers that if left unchecked can change the course of our lives and our health.

In this 9 part series, I will discuss each energy center in detail and delve into the many layers that make up each center. This may lead t a deeper understanding of where energy and attention may need to be focused to assist you being in restoring balance and health.

A smooth, steady flow of energy through the chakra system ensures a healthy aura (the energy around the body), which in turn may indicate a body clear of dis-ease.

Come with me on this journey...

Moving on or moving in

Having spent much time on getting more in touch with self, I now realize that I am not reaching a destination but am on the greatest journey of my life.

Who the hell am I anyway? I have spent most of my life thinking that I am this or that, only to find out that I may just be whatever I believed my parents said I was or those around me that I trusted thought I was.

I am only now trying to sift thought the lies and finding out that facts may just be other peoples opinions and that the fact is, I am a work in progress and may discover that I am someone different everyday? So I am actually moving in and moving out!

Moving out of who you thought I was and moving in to who I wish to be.