By
Egan SandersEastern traditions often talk about suffering, attachment and how the letting go of worldly goods and/or ideas can bring inner peace an freedom. It’s basically a message about simplicity – being more conscious and simplifying life by practicing deeper awareness of our thoughts and emotions.
With all the complexities of modern life it seems that many people are yearning for greater ease and simplicity. As we accumulate things and ideas our lives can become denser and more complicated. There can be a sense of impurity, as if unhealthy elements have been added to the mix of our daily reality.
Some people reach a state of enlightenment or have epiphanies when all they have is taken away from them. In some instances it can be possessions that are all destroyed in a fire, a flood, or a hurricane that seem to erase a person’s history. An important relationship that ends can create loss as well as new insights. Individuals who have found themselves in prison can lose their physical freedom only to gain inner peace and freedom. Since we can accumulate so many possessions there are many ways they can be suddenly taken away.
Rather than focusing on the popular “Law of Attraction” consider working with the “Law of Subtraction”. Whereas the popular “Law of Attraction” focuses on controlling life through thought to create something, the “Law of Subtraction” is about letting go of attachments to people, possessions, and ideas. This can create openness, surrender, flexibility and grace, allowing for the experience of deep inner peace. Here are some things to consider letting go of.
It’s safe to say that we are not in the habit of giving credit to our organs on a daily basis. Because we move from one activity to another, filling our schedule to get the most out of our day, our body’s triumphs can easily go un-noticed. The body is constantly working, each system in concert with all other systems, communication happening at light speed. Just like the human mind, the body-mind can become exhausted and feel unappreciated. Here are some ways to become more familiar with and more supportive of one element of your body—The Kidneys!
We don’t always think of them. They’re in the back, they’re not noisy, like the belly. So what do they do? Only something incredible and necessary! The kidneys are thought of as the body’s “Vital Essence,” or life-force in Chinese medicine. Consider the image of the life-force meter in a video-game. This would be the gauge for how much time you have left in the game. It measures how life impacts our overall essence, but also our courage and ability to commit to the tasks at hand.
The kidneys are bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine. Find Your Kidneys! Bring the arms straight out to your sides, making fists with your hands, then bend the arms at the elbow and bring your fist directly to the back of your body. The elbows should naturally lower a little bit in order to reach your back. If this is not the most comfortable, or confusing, find a buddy to help to point out by placing their hands on that location. Many people think their kidneys are much lower and much smaller than they actually are. So Consider their size, and location!
Every day, a person’s kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood to sift out about 2 quarts of waste products and extra water. The wastes and extra water become urine, which flows to the bladder. The good stuff keeps flowing with the blood. In Wisdom of the Body Moving, Linda Hartley says that, “Many people tend to suffer from stress or exhaustion in the kidney area, reflecting our cultural difficulty in knowing how to nurture this vital life force and maintain the right internal balance amid the pace and pressures of modern life.” So, being run from appointment to another with a list of demands, we tend to weaken our vital force, lending to feelings of lifelessness, exhaustion and fear.
Contact your Kidneys! Now that you know how to locate the kidneys, here are some ways to nourish them and give’em props, leading to a boost in your life-force.
By
Kim Farmer, owner of
Mile High FitnessIt has been said that it takes just 21 days to make anything a habit, but with the struggle that most Americans go through of starting and sticking with an exercise program, you have to wonder if this saying applies to exercise. Most of us don’t have a hard time starting an exercise program; it is the problem of starting it over and over and over again.
But there are some ways to keep it going. Many people have committed to their own high level of fitness by exercising everyday and eating the right foods. Regardless of schedules, energy levels or desire, these gym regulars are on a first name basis with club owners. How do they do it? What is their secret? Based on my research and observation, here are the things they do consistently to make exercise a habit:
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