organic v. conventional: a follow-up

For those of you following along, last week I posted a link to a new Stanford study cited in the NY Times regarding whether to buy organic versus conventional produce!

Here's an interesting article regarding the controversy surrounding the Stanford Organic Food Study.  Enjoy!

attunement

Photo by Katie Krueger

Lake Margaret, Duvall, Washington

My youngest sister, pictured above in a split-second moment of serenity, is an eleven year old miracle child.  Ask any of us, and we'll tell you that she is a plant, a gift placed into our lives to make every moment a little more magical.  Adopted from China 10 years ago this January, she is hilarious, imaginative and unbelievably insightful.

One of the most incredible things about her is her true connection and attunement to her body.  Since coming home to us, she has shown the most amazing knowledge of her body and its needs.  And, without a word, she fulfills those needs.  She's getting sick?  She'll drink more of the broth from her soup than usual.  Sleepy?  She'll find a place to rest or announce that she is heading to bed early.  Even more miraculously, as she begins the adolescent process, this innate connection is becoming psychological and spiritual as well.  She knows when the pubescent phases come and instinctually knows what's really her and what's coming from the hormones, apologizing for her short temper or irritable mood while still being able to acknowledge her truer emotions.  Not that she's perfect -- just a heck of a lot more insightful than I was at 11 (... and might still be at times).

One of my many goals this year is to re-attune to myself, to my body and its needs, to my spirit and its desires.  As I have shared before, I am a perfectionist and a should-girl, lazy and self-sacrificing in the most unhealthy way.  I believe that, in our culture, we are taught to separate the different parts of ourselves, the physical and psychological, the spiritual and the sexual (gasp! did she just say that?!), our bodies, our minds, our souls.  Even down to the way that we eat -- we lack a connection between what our bodies need and what we crave psychologically, letting our wounded, over-stressed, over-worked psyches lead us to devoid our bodies of nourishment and care.  We rest without truly resting.  We work without ever knowing our purpose.  To live wholly, boldly, in-tune with our most authentic selves, it is going to take a conscious commitment to resetting those societal impulses and a dedication to reconnecting the different pieces of ourselves.  And that's where the beautiful work begins.

As the emails from the many wellness and fitness websites I follow excitedly shared, this month is National Yoga Month.  Believe me, I am anything but a yogi. Though I've joined my much-more-flexible and meditative mother and sister in the yoga studio once or twice,  I am inflexible and impatient and, up to this point, have never given yoga a true chance.  But -- as I am up for anything on this journey, especially something that balances the meditative and physical aspects of embodiment -- I am up for the challenge (do your research first!)!

I'm now on my fourth yoga workout (I am switching off between hitting the yoga mat and my usual cardio routine) and, I'll tell you... I suck.  I still can't touch my toes and the grunting that goes on while I'm breathing into some of those poses is down right embarrassing!  But I'm still in it, pushing through the embarrassment and the awkwardness that comes with growing into a practice.

What about you?!  What are you doing this month in your commitment to wellness?  I would love to hear, learn and grow with you!

Want to read more about being in tune with your purpose?  I found this great article!

"should"

Stop "should-ing" yourself.  I could NOT have said it better.

With love, 

A perpetual "should-er"

with your whole heart

Oh. My. Goodness.  I just rewatched this for I think the 20th time (yes, it's THAT good) -- and I knew that I had to share it with you all.  Please, I beg you, carve 20 minutes out of your day to check this out! I would love to know your thoughts and reactions!

to buy organic or conventional

For those of you who are interested in the organic movement, check out this article from the New York Times' wellness blog citing new research in the great debate!

when things fall apart

Good evening, my beautiful friends!  I hope that you had a lovely Labor Day weekend and are settling sweetly into another week.  This past weekend, my dearest and I had a full weekend, traveling to Phoenix for a couple of days for an extended-family Labor Day picnic followed up with a hike through the Lava Tubes just north of Flagstaff!  It was so lovely to get out and do something active on such a beautiful weekend, especially after a whirlwind couple of days down south.  Plus, it was strenuous enough to definitely count for a workout!  What about you?!

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Via ModCloth

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One of my recent subjects of contemplation over the past few weeks (yes, I know... there are quite a few!) has been about what happens when the decision you've made, the effort you've invested or the changes you've begun seem to have been in vain.  You can't see a result, you've hit a wall, you've failed (or at least convinced yourself that you have).  For me, there is an ingrained fear within... that I'll make a mistake, end up disappointed, or feel as though I have failed.  And there is a survival instinct within me that tells me to hide, to stay small, to choose only the paths that are assured and known.  A little voice speaks, saying, "Don't make a mess, don't make a change.  You may want more out of life, but you don't know how it will turn out.  Stay where you know." Fortunately, there is also a courageous voice, one that SHOUTS to be bold, make mistakes, and choose the messiness of life in its fullness.

The truth is that bold choices sometimes leave us prostrate, face-down on the floor, as we've tripped and fallen, made a mistake or "failed."  Maybe your business plan, the one you've put your blood, sweat, and tears into, halts to a stop.  Maybe you've made drastic changes to your lifestyle, quit smoking, changed your diet, made daily exercise a priority, whatever it might be... and still don't see results.  Maybe a relationship ends.  Maybe you wake up one day and realize that the career-plan you've envisioned for yourself isn't what you're meant for.  With bold living comes the risk of failure.  In an attempt to live more courageously, more fully, we are bound to make mistakes.  We are hurt, disappointed, discouraged.

But the greater truth is that these mistakes are the seeds of beautiful, courageous fruit (sounds delicious, doesn't it?).  Our mistakes, failures, rejections - whatever it is that you want to call them - they are gold for learning and growth.  We are supposed to make mistakes, it's part of the human existence.  Even the fabulously wise (nerd alert!) Albus Dumbledore said, "I make mistakes like the next man.  In fact, being -- forgive me -- rather cleverer than most men, my mistakes tend to be correspondingly huger." 

It's not easy to get up and try again. I am an intense perfectionist -- every mistake, every failure, every disappointment... it knocks me down hard (sometimes for days or weeks... honestly). I take my disappointments to heart, and it takes a huge step of internal courage to shake it off.   And there is fear in that.  To change my career path, my home, my lifestyle -- there is fear in that risk.  What if I don't succeed?  What if I struggle financially, emotionally, physically?  There are days when my new commitment to wellness doesn't seem like it's doing anything.  There are days when I don't know if I will reach my career goals.  But, ultimately, I have the choice between living a life of fear - scared to make a mistake, scared to take a risk - or to live boldly, courageously, wholly.  Each mistake, failure, rejection, wall you hit, is a building block for success.  As Henry Ford says, "The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing."  I know that it might seem cliche, but positive change creates positive results.  Bold living means taking a risk - facing the fear of failure or disappointment - but it's this bold living that creates courageous success.  

Whatever positive, bold moves you are making -- remember that you are courageous and strong, strong enough to fail big.  Let go of that fear.  Step into the possibilities for greater learning and growth.  Make some huge mistakes and surprise yourself with your success, even when it doesn't look like you thought it would.  

"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor."

Truman Copote

Jay Roeder via Positive Inkling

a salute to labor day

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone!

What are your plans this holiday weekend? Remember to be kind to yourself!