Weight Balance Challenge - Special Meditation

How did the intro steps go? Did you find it easy or hard to love yourself exactly as you are right now?  Were you able to work out any issues in this that you wouldn’t mind sharing?

In changing our Mindset so that we really love and work with our bodies, we can actually tell our body what we need it to do and then expect that to start happening.  Ok, there is a little background info to understand here.

First, when we tell our body out of love what we need it to do, this has a completely different energy that demanding, begging, or talking down to.  “Body, I love you so much. We’re going to be working together to balance our weight differently than it is right now and I would adore your help with this. You have some incredibly important work to do on your end and I appreciate your grasp of the details. Thank you!”

It’s very interesting that when we speak out of love in this way, who are we that is saying this? It’s us, but we’re connecting to our Higher Self also, and there’s an energy of power associated here.  Whenever we completely feel love – gratitude – appreciation and we speak or act within this feeling, we are connected to our Higher Self.  The feeling it part here is very important.

Here’s an easy, fun meditation to work with over the next few days. Doing this right before bed can be really nice! But do it whenever you have a quiet moment.

1. Bring your attention to your heart center and consciously breathe here, as if you are inhaling and exhaling from your heart center.
   
2. At a certain point, your breath will naturally slow, and this signifies that physiological changes are starting to take place. Enjoy the slow softness of your breath.
   
3. In the slow breathing, start to feel love for yourself.  Allow the feeling to grow until you feel your entire emotional state shift and expand.
   
4. Consciously radiate this feeling of love coming out of you beyond your body, into the space that surrounds you.  Can you fill the area or room with it?
   
5. When we do this, our brain waves literally change.  You may feel as if you are experiencing a slight altered state that is extremely light and clear.
   
6. In this state say to yourself “Subconscious Mind, I direct you to begin right now doing what is necessary to change my weight.”  You can tweak this sentence to fit your own words as long as you speak directly to your subconscious mind and tell it exactly what to do – in a state of love.

Let me know how this goes – I’m excited for you to try it! And it’s so much fun to see what your subconscious mind knows you need and starts to do for you. 

Weight Balance Challenge - Introduction

What this is:  We are going to blend a variety of real-life natural techniques found in Oriental medicine that work.  This is going to be done in steps that allow us to experience and integrate genuine changes into our daily routine that bring us into a more balanced state of being.  Through mindset, reaching a higher vibration, caring for and moving our body, and using gifts from the Earth like herbs and crystals, we are going to have FUN shifting into our natural weight and feeling absolutely wonderful about it.

What this is not:  This is not a New Year’s Resolution.  It is also not a diet.  It is not a quick gimmick to lose 5 or 10 lbs then gain it right back.  If you’re looking for an external source to change you, there are plenty available out there.

How to participate:  Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting specific items and ideas to work with, so make sure you Like my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TouchOfTao/) and watch for them.  I’ll also re-post everything here on our blog in case you missed it, or so you can come back to it anytime.

These will be actionable items that you’ll need to play with and actually do.   I like to make things flexible enough to allow them to fit your own unique preferences and ways, because all of this has to work from you and through you.  It’s you that is changing you – not me or anyone else doing something to you. You create your own beauty from within, and all of the upcoming activities will help that come out.

Ready? The first item to work with is Self-Love.  In order for all of this to work as fluently as possible, we need our bodies to feel incredibly loved – no matter what - and invite them to work with us. 

This may take some inner work, because often if we want to change our weight we don’t like how we are right now.  Really look at the self-talk you have going on inside about this.  What do you think about yourself and how your body looks?

If you already say “I love myself exactly as I am right now. I’m beautiful and perfect!” then keep doing more of that.

If you say anything at all like “I’m too fat. I’d look good if I lost 20 pounds. I look terrible.” Etc. etc., then become very aware of exactly what you are saying.  You’ll need to add a disclaimer at the end.  You can make up what works for you, but it needs to be something like:  “I’m too fat. But I totally love myself anyway.”  “I’d look good if I lost 20 pounds. But I completely love myself right now regardless of my abundant weight.”  “I look terrible. Well I love my terrible looking self so much it doesn’t matter what I look like!”

I think of our inner self-talk like talking to a child.  How does a child respond that is told he/she is too fat and looks terrible?  It’s not a good feeling.  Usually it’s a heavy, energetically damp feeling that weighs down morale and slows down the energy flow.  This can directly translate into a slower metabolism.

If we tell a child “You’re beautiful! You’re perfect! I love you so much!” and we mean it deeply and genuinely – now we’ve got some amazing energy to work with and we can be motivated and play and love what we create within.

So start today – right now - and look at your inner self-talk about your body and weight.  Wherever you think or say something negative, imagine you are talking to a beautiful innocent child and change it around.  Add a disclaimer, or apologize to your body, forgive yourself, and think/say a better thought filled with unconditional love.  This takes commitment and practice, so keep doing it until it’s so natural the love you feel for yourself becomes emotionally palpable.

I’d love to hear your comments and experience with this, especially if it will help someone else who can relate or is having a hard time.  Thanks! Have fun & be creative with this.

PS: Throughout the challenge if you feel like you need one-on-one personal assistance please call to make an appointment with myself or the other amazing practitioners at the Oriental Healing Arts Center.  Your success means a lot!

Auricular Therapy for Weight Loss

What is Auricular Therapy?

Auricular Therapy, also known as Ear Reflexology, is a special way of stimulating acupoints in the ear as a way to treat symptoms of imbalance.  The method of treating acupoints in the ear has been practiced in Oriental medicine for at least 2,000 years.  This can either be done with small acupuncture needles, or as a non-needle technique that uses massage and small gold or silver beads, or seeds, attached to tape and pressed into acupoints on the ear at precise locations.  

The needles and beads or seeds stimulate the Qi and Blood of the related area, function, or internal organ of the body.  This treatment is commonly used by acupuncturists, and because it does not actually break the skin may also be used by bodyworkers and herbalists trained in Oriental medicine.  (All of the professional massage therapists at The Oriental Healing Arts Center are trained in Oriental medicine.)

What can Auricular Therapy treat?

The ear, hands, feet, and back are places on the body that can each be used to treat the entire body.  Oriental medicine techniques are all used to re-balance the Yin and Yang energies of the whole mind-body-spirit, so from this point of view there is very little that could not be treated at least in part by Auricular Therapy.

In 1990, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed that Auricular therapy is “probably the most developed and best documented, scientifically, of all the ‘micro-systems’ of acupuncture and is the most practical and widely used.”   The WHO lists 150 conditions for which Auricular Therapy is appropriate, including headaches, migraines, nerve pain, facial paralysis, tennis elbow, high blood pressure, sciatica, low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, pain associated with cancer, menopause symptoms, allergies, addictions, depression, and more.

How will Auricular Therapy help me to lose weight?

By identifying the internal organs and functions that are out of balance now, Auricular Therapy is used to stimulate specific acupoints that will act to re-balance you.  This includes increasing the function of sluggish digestive organs, regulating your sense of hunger, regulating hormones and metabolism, and encouraging the body to release excess accumulations and waste efficiently.

What are the side effects of Auricular Therapy?

Used properly, there are no known adverse side effects of this treatment.  It is natural, generally painless, and highly effective.

Is Auricular Therapy done by itself, or do I need to do anything else too?

Our culture is very used to the way that conventional medicine will prescribe a medication to ingest or apply and no other action is required.   Oriental medicine says that if we are experiencing pain and suffering of any kind, there is some aspect of our life that is out of balance and thus supporting our current circumstances.  We must address the imbalance and take appropriate measures to correct it.  According to Chinese medicine, there are 6 main reasons that people experience illness:

1.      Improper eating habits

2.      Too much work

3.      Too much emotional upset (including stress)

4.      Not enough exercise

5.      Not enough rest

6.      Environmental

Except for #6, these are all lifestyle related issues to which changes should at least be considered.  Luckily though, Auricular Therapy will often stimulate the necessary motivation and awareness to catalyze change.

Auricular Therapy can be done alone, but is most often supported with one or more of the following treatments according to individual needs and preferences:

·         Meditation, QiGong and Tai Chi practice

·         Medical QiGong Energy Healing

·         Acupuncture

·         Massage Therapy

·         Five Element Nutritional Counseling

·         Herbal Therapy

·         Chinese Medical Essential Oil Treatments

What should I expect after a treatment?

Results will depend mainly on the degree of illness and the length of time it has been present.  Many conditions will experience immediate relief to some extent, while others will show gradual but steady improvement over time.  Treatments are continued, usually on a weekly basis, until symptoms are gone, or until enough of a push has started a healing momentum that can be maintained on your own.

Ear beads or seeds are kept in from 3-7 days.  They should be gently rubbed for 3-5 seconds each, 3-5 times every day.  A cotton ball should be placed in the ear to protect it while taking a shower.

What if I have pierced ears?It is recommended not to wear jewelry on the ear being treated as this will add stimulation that may affect the energy of the treatment.

Contact us if you are interested in receiving this therapy.  907-279-0135

QiGong for Weight Loss

An explanation of the philosophy of Weight Loss from a Taoist and Holistic point of view:

NO DIETING!!!
From a natural point of view, weight loss is largely based on taking in excellent nutrition, assimilating the nutrients efficiently, and assuring there is appropriate mind-body exercise. Let's briefly explore these below:

First, what are you taking into yourself? This includes food, drink, medications, herbs, vitamins, and anything else going into your mouth. It is generally agreed that overeating and having a sweet tooth are responsible for weight gain. HOWEVER... both overeating and having a sweet tooth are actually your body's cry for good nutrition. You want to eat more because you're not getting enough nutrients in the food you are eating. And if you have ever been to a farm or eaten very fresh fruits and vegetables, notice that even the vegetables have an incredibly delicious natural sweet flavor. THIS is the sweet that your body is truly craving. When you don't get enough proper nutrition to begin with, of course your body is going to tell you to eat more! And when you crave sweet and you eat sugar you aren't getting the natural sweetness found in farm fresh produce, so of course your body keeps craving sweet!

Second, is your digestive system strong enough to assimilate and use the nutrients you are taking in? Answer the following questions:

1. Do you have between 1 to 3 daily bowel movements? If you do not have at least 1 daily bowel movement your intestines are moving too slowly and you are constipated. If you have more than 3 daily bowel movements your intestines may be moving too quickly and need to be strengthened.

2. Is your stool well-formed, or is it muddy, loose, or watery? If it is not well-formed and easy to release, you need to strengthen your digestive system.

3. Does your stool have a very strong and offensive odor? (not that poop smells good, but an especially offensive smell can indicate issues that need to be resolved.)

4. After you eat is your digestive process comfortable or do you experience bloating, belching, gas, discomfort, or "noises"?

5. Do you have any problems with acid reflux or heartburn?

6. Do you have food allergies or intolerances (other than shellfish)? If so, your digestive system may be so overworked that it can't handle anything that takes an effort to break down. Once you strengthen it back up these allergies will disappear.

Third, are you getting enough appropriate physical movement? Lack of movement encourages internal stagnation, and stagnation is a breeding ground for disease. Our bodies REQUIRE movement as much as we require air and water. From a Taoist point of view, appropriate movement provides a mind-body connection. This type of exercise includes QiGong, Tai Chi, Yoga, and most martial arts. In contrast, inappropriate movement is anything done where your body is doing one thing and your mind is doing something else. For example, if you are jogging on the treadmill and watching TV at the same time, this is a mind-body disconnect. Interestingly enough, several studies have shown that people who practice the above mind-body exercises tend to take very good care of themselves and cultivate lifestyle and eating habits that are very healthy.

I have to add something about reduced calorie diets and excess exercise. According to Chinese medicine, a major reason for excess weight is due to an underlying deficiency in the Water Element. In basic terms, your body doesn't have enough energy to process what you are taking in. Reduced calorie diets provide even less energy and nutrition to someone already in a deficient state - not a good situation to be in. On the same line, someone with an underlying energy deficiency that tries to exercise too much will eventually burn out. Here I am talking about harsh physical exercise like going to the gym, not mind-body exercise. Appropriate exercise should leave you feeling alive, refreshed, and wonderfully strong. If this is not the case, it may not be approrpriate to your situation.

For an inspiring workshop that includes Dragon QiGong & Acupressure for Weight Loss, see

QiGong for Weight Loss
Sat. 1/17/09
7:30-9:00pm
$35, dress comfortably for gentle movement
Register on-line, www.touchoftao.com or at the door