HOLISTIC ALIGNMENT MUSINGS

All too often, the busy-ness and stress of life can reduce us to feeling like victims. For those that don’t feel in control of their own lives they will always find someone or something to blame. For example: never enough – time or money; support from the job/boss; the partner/child/parent; economic system: government; God…..fill in the blank. The question is though: who do you want in charge of your life?

BLAMING CREATES VICTIMS

The problem with blame, even if it’s justified, is that it creates a sense of powerlessness in the person blaming. This perpetuates the very same feelings of being victimised. Not a lot can change from maintaining this position. If you want to break this cycle, it is necessary to regain your sense of what YOU can control.

TAKING BACK CONTROL

Taking back control of your life involves reconnecting with what you feel and sense in your emotionally and physically. The result of stress is that it disconnects you from yourself, and that’s why you feel powerless. In this state, you are emotionally, chemically, physically and literally “under the influence” of stress.

To use the analogy of alcohol, being under the influence of stress is a bit like being drunk. When you are drunk…you cannot simply decide to be sober. Stress is a biochemical effect within your body, reducing it requires you to take some measures to reduce the stressor. Once the stressor has been reduced, this decreases the adrenaline and cortisol producing the stress response. More on tips to reduce the immediate effects of cortisol and adrenaline a bit later on.

POSITIVE STRESS AND NEGATIVE STRESS

I want to qualify that we all require a certain amount of stress to function in a healthy way. For example – gravity is stress, but it does not create a negative experience of existence. Too much pressure can create muscle tension/aches; pain; anxiety; irritability; digestive issues; sleeplessness; fluctuations in mood; and depression. However too little stress/activity can also result in the very same symptoms.

When seeking to master your stress levels, it’s helpful to understand this spectrum and determine your own optimal threshold. It’s also important to understand that this optimal level constantly changes for the individual. External influences that life presents as well as the internal influences such as cellular health are ever changing. Stages of life can also have an effect on the spectrum of stress tolerance. What you used to be able to tolerate when you were younger can differ when you are older.

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS

Picture this scenario: At the same time we’re experiencing financial pressures, we also have an argument with our partner. A close friend calls us for urgent support at the same time a relative passes away. It’s raining and there’s a leak in our roof that needs fixing. The same day the cat gets in a fight and needs to be taken to the vet. The shop attendant is rude, and we snap and become unreasonably upset. It wasn’t really the shop attendant’s fault, it was everything that preceded it.

Although it may SEEM that everything is happening all at once, we have forgotten that stress is cumulative. That stress may have been building up for weeks, months, years, or even a lifetime.

TAKE STOCK

By the time you have accumulated a bundle of rage, grief, guilt, and fear, that results in physical, chemical and emotional stress, you may not be able to identify all of the individual contributing factors…instead, its like a faceless monster, that you can’t quite define, that robs you of your sleep and your inner peace and leaves you with dread.

It is helpful to take stock and logically assess the length of time the current stress has been going on for. Then look at what stressors may have been occurring before that, and then again before that….so that you have an accurate overview of everything that you’ve had to contend with that may be contributing to your state of stress. The purpose of taking stock is actually to gain some perspective that facilitates you to understand why you are reacting the way you are, and to be kinder to yourself, and give yourself a break.

If in the process of taking stock, you become aware of unresolved traumas that may have occurred in your life that are still affecting you, this is where its important to seek external support from a counselor or psychotherapist. Historical trauma creates invisible stress that needs to be processed and until it is, any changes that you try to make to regain control and become the master of your stress, will be undermined by the root cause.

IMMEDIATE STRESS REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

BREATHE SLOWLY

When you are under the influence of adrenaline, which gets released through your entire system in moments of stress, your breathing becomes shallow. As your breathing becomes shallow, you reduce the flow of oxygen to your brain, your peripheral muscles contract creating tension, your digestive system stops functioning optimally as the blood is drawn towards the heart.

To reverse this effect of adrenaline: Slowly inhale for 7 seconds and slowly exhale for 7 seconds, repeat this for 5-20 minutes.

This pattern of breathing will activate the parasympathetic nervous system response which calms your heart-rate, allows increased blood and oxygen flow to your brain, assists in relaxing your muscles, and lets the digestive system function normally.

HUG SOMEONE

Hugging stimulates a release of oxytocin which reduces blood pressure as well as the stress hormones: norepinephrine and cortisol. Try hugging for 20 seconds (it seems like a long time, but this length of time has shown to decrease these hormones involved in the stress response), and I’m not talking about a stiff as a board, non engaging hug; I’m talking about a full, firm, body contact hug where you can really relax with your exhalation. Preferably hug someone that you trust and are close to.

TAPPING

E.F.T. (Emotional Freedom Technique) is a fast and incredibly effective technique for reducing stress by tapping on the acupuncture points which releases physical and emotional energy that gets stored in the electromagnetic field. A really helpful resource which teaches this technique is https://www.thetappingsolution.com

WALK

Take a 15 minute walking break, it releases endorphins which are the body’s natural happy drugs as well as lowering your blood pressure and it also reduces anxiety. Just breathing in fresh air, assists with deeper respiration helping to activate a parasympathetic state. Walking also helps to loosen up muscles that have tightened up from the adrenal response and it also helps with processing of the emotions and gaining mental clarity.

RUN

If you are literally trembling with adrenaline, running or intense aerobic exercise will burn up the adrenaline and help you to feel calmer.

TAKE A BATH WITH EPSOM SALTS

Epsom salts is magnesium sulphate which is a natural muscle relaxant. Using essential oils such as a few drops of lavender in the bathwater can also assist with calming of the mind and the inhalation process helps to deepen the breathing to again activate the parasympathetic state.

TAKE RESCUE REMEDY

Rescue remedy is a homeopathic Bach flower remedy that contains five flower essences to alleviate terror, panic, irritation and impatience, combat inattentiveness, ease shock, and calm irrational thoughts. It can be taken as drops, a spray or digestible pastilles.

LONGER TERM STRESS REDUCTION METHODS

MEDITATION

Both Transcendental Meditation (TM) as well as Mindfulness-based-stress-reduction techniques have shown to reduce cortisol levels up to 30%

EXERCISE

Cardiovascular exercise is a vital part of maintaining good health but aerobic exercise specifically, is great for burning up adrenaline, and it also reduces cortisol levels. Regular aerobic exercise for 20-30 minutes will do the trick.

MASSAGE

Regular massage has also shown to reduce cortisol levels as well as increasing oxytocin, one of our good feeling hormones.

SUPPLEMENTATION

Taking an adrenal support in the form of a supplement can reduce an overactive adrenal system that has become fatigued. Various herbs with adaptogenic properties for helping you to be more resilient to the effects of stress include: Rhodiola rosea; Wythania somnifera – also known as Ashwagandha root extract; Ginseng; Tulsi – also known as holy basil; Astragalis root; and Licorise root. Your local health food shop should be able to supply you with the above.

FOOD TO REDUCE ANXIETY INCLUDE:

• Brazil Nuts – high in selenium necessary for a balanced mood
• Fatty fish – high in omega 3 which is important for cognitive function; and vitamin D which is also important for mood
• Eggs – contain tryptophan, an amino acid that creates serotonin (a good feeling hormone); and vitamin D again for balancing the mood
• Pumpkin seeds – high in potassium which reduces anxiety; high in zinc, essential for the part of the brain involved in regulating emotions
• Bananas – high in potassium which reduces anxiety
• Dark chocolate – high in tryptophan for creating serotonin; magnesium which is a muscle relaxant
• Tumeric – the active ingredient curcumin reduces inflammation causing anxiety

A DEEPER FUNDAMENTAL CAUSE THAT CREATES STRESS

APPEASING OTHERS

Always trying to please everybody else, often results in saying yes when you really want to say no. If you are feeling at the beckon call of everybody around you, chances are that you have trained them to call on you by always being available, and dropping everything to meet their needs. Its admirable to be helpful and reliable but not when it comes to your own demise.

When people are used to you always saying yes, they begin to expect it, and so there can be a great deal of resistance from them if you suddenly decide to say no. The unseen pressure that you may feel as a result of other peoples expectations of you, can lead to feelings of resentment towards them and towards yourself for allowing yourself to be taken for granted in the first place.

Feeling resentment is fine if it leads you to identify the root cause and make the necessary changes to transform your situation, but resentment left for too long, can fester and cause further anxiety and ill health. The pathway forward towards health, is to learn to say no despite the potential kickback from others, thereby dissolving any resentment you may have directed towards yourself or them, and also to retrain the people around you, thereby releasing yourself from their expectations.

It will most likely not feel natural for you to say no if you are in a habitual pattern of people pleasing, in fact it will probably feel utterly wrong, which may result in feelings of guilt. Still, the pathway forward towards health is to say no anyway.

DIGGING EVEN DEEPER

The even deeper question asks: “Why do you feel the need to appease everybody?” or rephrased “What are you gaining by appeasing everybody?”

The answer may be along the lines of: To feel accepted, To feel liked, To feel loved, To feel valued, To feel respected, To feel important, To feel needed, To feel worthy, and whatever the answer may be for you…it indicates the honest truth about what you feel you are lacking in the first place (which by the way….you are NOT lacking, but if you believe that you are, it will feel like a very real deficit for you).

So when you’ve identified the causal root of what you feel is your personal deficit, that then causes you to say yes to everyone and everything around you, that then causes you to put yourself under enormous pressure, that then causes the very stress that makes you feel like a victim… you have found the way out of the pattern of stress, all that needs to be done is to reverse the pattern….easier said than done if you’ve spent a lifetime constructing it.

Finding your way back home to yourself again is the next stage in this complex journey of un-ravelling. If you feel this pertains to you, it may be helpful to find someone to assist you in navigating your way through this process, such as a life coach, spiritual mentor or intuitive healer. After all is done, true healing is the realization that there was never anything to heal in the first place.

Wishing you insight, courage, strength, freedom and peace

Written by Chrissy Diamond

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Holistic Alignment offers a variety of treatments to suit your unique needs. Our Practitioners Chrissy Diamond and Lorelei Messersmith will be happy to discuss any questions you may have regarding your treatment to assist in putting you at ease. Contact Chrissy to book your first Holistic Alignment.

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As the daylight hours decrease in the southern hemisphere, and the temperatures start to reduce, it’s a good time to tune in to your body and make a few adjustments to support your immune system.

Here are a few immunity boosters to implement as the seasons change, in order to resource yourself for the coming winter months.

DETOXING

Autumn and Spring are the best times of year to detox the body, allowing you to adjust, physically, mentally and emotionally to the changing seasons. There are a range of detox kits available for purchase but I prefer to go directly to mother nature and detox both through elimination as well as nourishment from the wonderful food sources available to us.

A traditional detox usually involves fasting, (essentially talking liquid but no food), but this is not advised if you’re still maintaining your normal schedule without being able to rest as your body demands e.g. by taking naps if you’re feeling fatigued (not a popular practice if you’re working).

A great alternative to fasting while still cleansing/detoxing your body is through ingesting pureed foods instead of solids.

NOURISHING DURING A DETOX

Smoothies, and Soups (which are warm and nourishing as the days begin to cool down) still provide nourishment to sustain you while also giving your body a break from spending energy digesting your food. When the body doesn’t have to digest food, it has more energy to boost stem cell regeneration and tissue repair, supporting the immune system.

Drinking a potassium broth (made from vegetable peelings) improves blood pressure, cardiovascular health, bone and muscle strength, while also providing essential vitamins and minerals. It is also a strong alkalizer (which our body loves, as opposed to our typically acidic state), it assists with detoxification, hydration, flushes the kidneys thereby reducing water retention, and helps to get the bowels moving.

A great by-product of cleansing/detoxing is weight loss, as apart from the sheer lack of solid food (which is not sustainable, and not intended to be), the metabolism gets a healthy boost because of the improved cellular functioning. (Not advised if you have diabetes!)

ELIMINATING DURING A DETOX

Yes, detoxing involves elimination but what you choose to eliminate is entirely up to you. Obviously for the greatest noticeable benefit, full elimination of meat, caffeine, dairy, wheat and gluten products, processed foods, sugar, alcohol, drugs, and tobacco is recommended.

However, what we consume is often driven by emotional states that we want to soothe, so, when we eliminate whatever we’re consuming to soothe our emotions, we expose our own emotional driver, which typically doesn’t feel good. This can expose feelings of anger, sadness, frustration, and general irritability and as our body starts throwing out excess toxins that have been stored in the liver. We can also experience physical discomfort when detoxing such as skin eruptions, head and body aches and pains, stiff joints, uncomfortable bowel movements and stomach cramps.

ITS OKAY…all of these uncomfortable physical and emotional symptoms will pass, and once they do, your cells will be humming a happy tune and doing a little happy dance as your energy increases!

IMMUNE BOOSTERS

Probiotics: Probiotics help to increase your friendly gut bacteria which act as messengers to activate your immune system and also assist in boosting your mood.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a vital antioxidant that has a large protective effect within the body by stopping the cellular damage created by free radicals. It also regenerates cell membranes, that includes skin, muscle, bone, and brain cells so it has a big role in healing. Vitamin C also assists in the absorption of Iron which is also extremely important when it comes to a healthy immune response. Remember that the body cannot produce or store vitamin C so we need to consume it regularly.

The best dietary sources of vitamin C are found in fruits and vegetables such as citrus fruits (orange and grapefruit), kiwifruit, mango, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries, watermelon, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, green and red peppers, spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, and other leafy greens, sweet and white potatoes, tomatoes and tomato juice.

IRON: Iron is necessary for the production of immune cells and white blood cells and an iron deficiency can result in having an inadequate immune response. Too much Iron however can inhibit the immune response so a balance is necessary. Symptoms of Iron deficiency include: cold hands and feet, recurrent anxiety, fatigue and tiredness, recurrent infections or infections that do not improve.

Dietary sources of Iron include: eggs (especially egg yolks), liver, lean red meat (especially beef), oysters, poultry, dark red meat, salmon, tuna, whole grains such as brown rice, oats, millet and wheat, beans and lentils (including dried legumes), tofu, baked potatoes, cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli and asparagus, dried fruits such as prunes, apricots and raisins, fortified breakfast cereals, whole-grain and enriched breads.

Vitamin D: As the sunlight hours in New Zealand diminish, so does your source of vitamin D which is a major driver of your immune system. Yes, you can get vitamin D via animal products such as oily fish like tuna, salmon, sardines, or herring; beef liver; cheese; and egg yolks but vegetable sources of vitamin D are limited to mainly mushrooms, and avocados which boost the absorption of vitamin D. So, for vegetarians and vegans it’s vital to have some food sources that are fortified with vitamin D such as some dairy products, juices and soy milk, soy beans and oats.

The best way for the body to synthesise vitamin D is via sun exposure on the skin so taking a vitamin D supplement during winter is a good way to support your immune system.

Zinc: Zinc is required for multiple functions of immunity including the development and functioning of cells that fight infections and clean up metabolic wastes but also by keeping the cellular functioning of the immune system in balance including the inflammatory process. Dietary sources of zinc include: meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds, nuts, dairy, eggs and whole grains.

Lysine: Lysine is an essential amino acid for building proteins. It assists in the absorption of minerals as well as strengthening cell walls by increasing collagen links and therefore reducing the cellular invasion of bacteria and viruses. Lysine also slows the growth of viruses (specifically herpes) so lysine can assist with the prevention and healing of cold sores.

Dietary sources of lysine include: high-protein foods such as eggs, meat (specifically red meat, lamb, pork, and poultry), soy, beans and peas, cheese (particularly Parmesan), and certain fish (such as cod and sardines).

ANTIVIRALS AND ANTIBACTERIALS

Raw Garlic: Raw Garlic has proven to be an effective killer of bacteria and viruses since ancient times due to its active ingredient allicin. Cooking garlic, destroys the allicin so it needs to be consumed in its raw form to prevent or fight infections. Raw garlic, however, is not pleasant to taste so a suggested method of consumption is to drink a solution of one or more crushed garlic cloves stirred into one third of a cup of water.

Olive Leaf: Olive leaf extract has been shown in extensive studies to improve immune function as well as providing antioxidant protection. The incredible germ-killing powers of olive leaf extract include: destruction of viruses‚ fungi‚ bacteria‚ and disease-causing parasites by stopping the invaders’ ability to reproduce. It does all of this while not harming the “good bacteria” that your body needs for a strong immune response.

Echinacea: Echinacea extract boosts the immune system by increasing the number of white blood cells responsible to fight infections. It also has powerful antioxidant properties thereby eliminating free radicals that cause cellular damage. Just a note of warning, echinacea may cause side effects, the most common being an upset stomach. If you have an allergy to plants in the daisy family such as chrysanthemums and marigolds, you may be at higher risk of having a reaction to echinacea so it may be best to avoid it.

SLEEP

Let’s not underestimate the importance of sleep for the optimal functioning of your immune system.

When the body is well rested, it can restore its natural homeostatic mechanisms that allow it to be in the best position to fight viruses and bacteria. The key here is “listening” to your body and following its commands….and NO you’re not being lazy by resting when you feel tiredness or fatigue that is out of the ordinary for you.

YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO REST AND RESTORE!

Wishing you an abundance of health and vitality this season wherever you are.

Written By: Chrissy Diamond

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Holistic Alignment offers a variety of treatments to suit your unique needs. Our Practitioners Chrissy Diamond and Lorelei Messersmith will be happy to discuss any questions you may have regarding your treatment to assist in putting you at ease. Contact Chrissy to book your first Holistic Alignment.

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NAVIGATING FROM SELF DOUBT TO SUCCESS

Throughout our life, we’re presented with multiple opportunities to doubt ourselves. Our past failures, comparison with others, external obstacles or challenges can all lead to a feeling of overwhelm. This can derail our best intentions to achieve our goals. Life also presents us with numerous opportunities to succeed and our success depends on which internal voices we’re listening to.

Attempting to navigate our way to success from a place of self-doubt, is doomed for defeat. Self-doubt is like a rug that we place all of our intentions on top of. Often, just when we’re on the verge of succeeding, our self-doubt will rip that rug out from underneath us. Everything that we dearly desire then tumbles down and we find ourselves powerless and pity-full.

So how do we stop sabotaging our success and dooming ourselves for defeat?

Let me share with you 5 steps that I’ve used to dissolve my own self doubt.

5 STEPS TO DISSOLVING SELF DOUBT

1: DEFINE SUCCESS

What is your definition of success? When you think of someone who has succeeded in your eyes, who do you think of?

In order to succeed, it’s vital to have a positive view of success. Sometimes we can have negative associations to those that we view as successful. For example, we may view them as arrogant, selfish, egocentric or lacking in integrity. If we have associated negative states with achieving success, our best efforts to succeed will be thwarted. This is because they don’t align with our own value system. If this is the case, we need to redefine the meaning of success to ourselves. We can then align with those values, traits, behaviours and states that we like, admire, prefer and desire.

When our definition of success aligns with our value system, our efforts to succeed work for us not against us. We then stack the odds in our own favour. What’s needed is an undivided intention to succeed if we are to experience success.

2: LABEL THE SELF DOUBT: GIVE IT A NAME

This part of the process is fun and may seem a bit silly. However that in itself is an important aspect. We need to have a sense of humour regarding our self-doubt in order to dis-empower it.

Make up a cartoon character name that illustrates the personality of your self-doubt, for example: Miserable Maude; Sinister Stephen.

Imagine what the characters look like in cartoon form and when they speak to you internally, what do they say? For example, if only I was thinner, better looking, funnier, talented, richer, etc. Perhaps they speak directly to you, e.g. You’re a loser, You’re a failure, You’re a disappointment.

I’ve given some fairly obvious examples. However the messages that they give us in the form of our own self-talk can be quite subtle. So we need to be be discerning. If you’re someone who suffers from self doubt, then you’ll likely be familiar with the self talk that derails you.

The most important thing here is to identify these characters as separate from yourself. You may have more than one character that self-doubt features as, it doesn’t matter, just label them all.

3: CATCH THE CHARACTERS IN ACTION

Identify which character is speaking to you when that internal voice of self-doubt shows up. You’ve got to be able to catch them when they’re at work doing their best to sabotage you.

These internal characters are actually just less evolved, un-integrated aspects of ourselves. We adopted these ways of being through beliefs, assumptions or decisions that we made to protect ourselves. However when they no longer serve us, WE end up serving THEM. These outdated mechanisms of protection then hypnotize us with their self defeating words. We come under the spell of what they’re saying because we have identified with them as who we really are.

YOUR SELF DOUBT IS NOT WHO YOU ARE!!

If you really want to overcome your self-doubt, its important to view these aspects (characters) as separate from yourself. They do NOT represent your innate awesomeness. You’re bigger than them!

4: CALL THEM OUT ON IT

When we identify these characters through the ways that they are speaking to us internally, we need to call them by their name. For example, “Oh it’s you “Sinister Steven” thanks for trying to protect me, but you can have a rest now.

I’m inviting you to acknowledge these negative internal voices, and give them permission to stand down. You can then re-assert your position as being in charge of your own life.

In other words, when self-doubt arises within us, we need to recognize it for what it is and simply say “SO WHAT”. Rather than being obedient to the instruction of self-doubt within us, we can take charge. So what if I have a little self doubt. I’m not going to let it stop me from doing and becoming what I want to be in my life.

5: FOCUS ON YOUR GOAL

The way that we move forward in our lives is much like driving a car. We have to see where we’re going and keep our focus and attention on what is happening in front of us. Sure, sometimes we have to use our rear-vision mirror/camera to reverse. To we can then change direction, but we then re-direct our focus to whats ahead.

Self-doubt is a bit like trying to drive forward while looking in the rear-vision mirror/camera. Instead we are best to focus on where we’re wanting to go and whats in front of us.

Our internal doubts are often anchored in the past and use historic reference points as evidence to prove that we are destined to fail so why even bother trying? Self-doubt is merely a distraction from what what we really want to achieve, attain, experience or become.

So stop allowing yourself to be distracted by those negative voices and re-focus on your goal! What is it that you really want?

If this is where you get stumped because you don’t know or you feel unsure about what you truly desire, let me give you a hint: whatever it is, it will involve joy, excitement, energy, health, love, peace, purpose, meaning, fulfillment, satisfaction, contentment and the resources need to achieve and maintain these states….so focus on attaining these states as your overall goal!!!

NO MORE EXCUSES

Saying “SO WHAT” to self-doubt is about not giving yourself an excuse to live a life of limitations, because most of the limitations that life actually presents to you are determined by you.

Yes, you may have experienced challenges, obstacles, traumas and hurts that have left scars both seen and unseen, and maybe you’re still healing from these. So take the time that you need to heal, gather around you the people and practices that support you and then redefine yourself and how you’d like the rest of your life to be.

Its up to you if you allow yourself to be defined by the doubt that erodes the self, or create a new definition for yourself, one that involves succeeding in whatever you set your intention to be, the power is yours!

All the best

Written By: Chrissy Diamond

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Holistic Alignment offers a variety of treatments to suit your unique needs. Our Practitioners Chrissy Diamond and Lorelei Messersmith will be happy to discuss any questions you may have regarding your treatment to assist in putting you at ease. Contact Chrissy to book your first Holistic Alignment.

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YOUR BODY IS TALKING TO YOU, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT’S SAYING?

From time to time, we all experience certain physical ailments and body symptoms that can cause us discomfort, pain and distress. When we experience something out of the ordinary in our bodies, we sometimes ignore it, hoping it will go away on its own. Or we can self-diagnose via the internet (which can provoke fear or worry). We can also seek expert diagnosis and treatment through various health care providers. There is however another tool that we have available that is often overlooked, the wisdom of our own body!

Hippocrates the Father of modern medicine said “Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease”. Edward Bach, the founder of homeopathic Bach Flower remedies stated “Disease is in essence, the result of conflict between Soul and Mind and will never be eradicated except by spiritual and mental effort”. If we can communicate with our bodies before we need to seek external feedback and if we learn to interpret the messages that they give us, WE then become the experts of our own bodies. In Michael Browns’ book “Alchemy of the Heart” He poetically admonishes us that “We are still trying to feel better, when we are now being asked to get better at feeling”.

I have long been a follower of the teachings of Louise Hay, who healed herself from cancer and then went on to write the New York Times best seller “You Can Heal Your life”.

In her book, Louise explains the link between the thoughts and beliefs that we have about ourselves and the effect that they have on our emotional health which can then manifest in the physical body causing a wide range of symptoms. Hay also provides within her book, a comprehensive list of physical ailments, their negative emotional counterpart and the positive mantra or affirmation that can be used as an antidote. It was through Louise, that I first became aware of the mind body maps and how to read them.

The following guide is in no way suggesting that the physical component of what we experience is invalid or to be dismissed and ignored; neither is this guide intended to replace traditional and complementary medical consultation. It is intended to offer an initial self-directed holistic approach which expands beyond the physical to include the metaphysical components of various symptoms, (psychological, emotional, and vibrational). If your symptoms persist, do seek the advice of your medical or complementary practitioner.

MIND BODY MAPS

When we experience an ailment or symptom in our body, the first thing that we can do to assist us in discerning the message from our body, is identify the location of the symptom.

The following physical locations of the body and their metaphysical symbolism can provide a guide, allowing us to understand the emotional/psychological and energetic components that have potentially contributed to the physical condition we’re experiencing, thus enabling us to make adjustments to restore balance within our body.

This guide is NOT intended to be prescriptive, instead – I encourage you to keep an open mind and assess what resonates or “lands” for you personally, in regards to your symptom. Equally, I encourage you to disregard that which doesn’t fit for you. These mind body maps have guided me to heal myself of various symptoms including: dissolving benign nodules, improving my visual prescription, dissolving pre-cancerous and cancerous cells, dissolving joint pain, dissolving eczema as well as eradicating digestive issues.

I share these insights as signposts guiding you towards your innate healing intelligence.

THE RIGHT SIDE

The Right side of the body represents your yang energy, or your doing energy. It is your animus, your animating force, or masculine side, your giving side and it also reflects your relationships with males. Your right side reflects your interaction with the world around you and is influenced by your environment. It symbolizes your conscious mind and it also represents the future.

When you have a symptom on the right side of your body, you may feel hindered in moving forward in an aspect of your life, and you may be holding yourself back by internal fear triggered from an aspect of your perceived future or your present environment. It may also represent challenges in relationships involving males. If your symptom is affecting your right, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE LEFT SIDE

The Left side of the body represents your yin energy, your non-doing energy. It is your anima, your feminine side, your intuition, it is about receiving and surrendering, and it also reflects your relationships with females. Your left side is about your subconscious mind and the hidden parts of yourself that you’d rather not show to the world and it also represents the past.

When you have a symptom on the left side of your body it may be a reflection of your past experiences and deep unacknowledged emotions, and may be indicative of your ability and willingness to receive and surrender. It may also represent challenges in relationships involving females. If your symptom is affecting your left, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE FRONT

The Front of the body represents the part of yourself that you show to the world, your public persona and all aspects of this version of yourself. It also reflects the future and what you’re moving towards. The front of the body is about your conscious mind and what you’re aware of or what you can see in front of you.

When you have a symptom on the front of your body, it may reflect a disparity or imbalance between your public external self and your private internal self. It may also represent an unwillingness or trepidation in moving forward towards your future. If your symptom is affecting your front, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE BACK

The Back of your body represents the part of yourself that is private and not seen by the world. It also reflects the past and what you’re moving away from. The back of the body is about your subconscious mind and aspects of yourself that are either ignored or yet undiscovered.

When you have a symptom on the back of your body, it may reflect aspects of your hidden self that you’d rather not acknowledge or deal with. It may also represent a feeling of being held back by unresolved emotions, experiences and memories from the past that you’ve accumulated in your physical body. If your symptom is affecting your back, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE LEGS

The Legs take you forward in your life, They also represent standing in your own strength. They reflect both your past as well as your future.

When you experience symptoms in your legs, this can be indicative of feeling stuck and restricted by the past, or fearful of stepping forward into your future. It can also be a reflection of feeling that you struggle to stand in your own strength. If your symptom is affecting your legs, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE ARMS AND HANDS

The Arms represent what you’ve got hold of, or what you have got a grip on and also represent what you can control. The arms and hands also represent giving and receiving

When you experience a symptom in your arms and/or hands it may reflect the inability or unwillingness to leg go of something or conversely take hold of something in your life. It may also represent a lack in being able or willing to give, or to receive. Symptoms in your arms and hands can also indicate things in your life that you need to take control of, or conversely, things that you have no control over and are therefore invited to surrender to. If your symptom is affecting your arms, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE EYES

The Eyes represent what you can understand and foresee. They reflect what you are aware of and perceive both within yourself as well as the world around you. The eyes govern your perspective and focus of the present and the future.

When you experience symptoms that affect your eyes, there may be something that you do not want to see or acknowledge, or you may be pained by what you do see or have seen. It can also represent being too focused on the future or stuck in a narrow perspective. If your symptom is affecting your eyes, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE EARS

The Ears represent what you know, or hear inside yourself, or in your environment.

When you experience symptoms that affect the ears this may represent something that you don’t want to know or hear, or it may reflect your inability or unwillingness to really listen. If your symptom is affecting your ears, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE THROAT

The Throat represents what you need to express, literally or creatively. It is symbolic of your soul expression. It reflects your power to speak your truth, and communicate with the world around you. The throat also allows you to literally take in food and air, so symbolically it also represents what we “take in” or swallow…figuratively or emotionally.

When you experience symptoms that affect the throat, it may symbolize that which you are not expressing or not saying and a lack of confidence in speaking your truth. It may also reflect misuse of your words, gossiping or lying. If your symptom is affecting your throat, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE LUNGS

The Lungs represent your ability to take in life, to be inspired. They also represent your ability to receive energy in all its forms, your openness to new ideas, and having clarity of thought.

When you experience symptoms affecting the lungs, it can represent grief, sadness and depression and may reflect a tendency to hold onto pain, like holding your breath, instead of letting it go, in order to breathe in again. It may also reflect fear or trepidation. If your symptom is affecting your lungs, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE HEART

The Heart is like a knot that binds together all of your energy systems and represents the centre of your sense of love and security. The heart represents your passion for life and your feeling of connection to the world around you. Its also linked to your vocational contribution, your sense of purpose and meaning in life and what you give.

When you experience symptoms affecting the heart this may also be reflected in a lack of joy, fear of being alone, feelings of disconnection and a lack of purpose or meaning in life. It may also reflect an imbalance or unwillingness to love yourself, which may get projected as self pity, resentment or hatred in its various forms. If your symptom is affecting your heart, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM (STOMACH, SMALL AND LARGE INTESTINES)

The Digestive system allows you to “digest” and assimilate your experiences. It allows you to draw the positive from your life in order to absorb and nourish your entire system.

When you experience symptoms that affect your digestive system, this may reflect in an inability to process what you may have experienced. It may also represent fear, or an inner knowing, a deep guttural sense of something being out of balance in your life. If your symptom is affecting your digestive system, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE URINARY SYSTEM

The Urinary system represents your ability to eliminate toxicity from yourself and your environment and to release that which you have processed and no longer need.

When you experience symptoms affecting your urinary system, it may represent an inability or inefficiency in how you process negative emotions and trauma. If your symptom is affecting your urinary system, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE LIVER

The Liver represents the storehouse of your life force energy and also your ability to restore and replenish.

When you experience symptoms affecting your liver, it may reflect the storing up of negative emotions that then deplete your energy. This energetic “fermentation” may create anger, resentment and irritability. If your symptom is affecting your liver, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE SPLEEN

The Spleen represents joy of living and passion for life. It also processes and absorbs nourishment from our emotional experiences in life and digests information from our thought processes.

When you experience symptoms affecting your spleen, it can be indicative of obsessiveness that may be reflected in mental instability and depression. It may also reflect a difficulty in processing thoughts and emotions and a reduced capacity for receiving emotional nourishment. If your symptom is affecting your spleen, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

The Reproductive system represents your self identity, creativity, and ability to experience pleasure. Its also a reflection of how you relate to yourself in relation to others. It represents your sense of security and your ability to survive.

When you experience symptoms that affect the reproductive system it may reflect a sense of insecurity, vulnerability or fear. It can also indicate a perceived threat to your sense of survival. Issues experienced in your reproductive system can also represent distortions in your self identity, resulting in thwarted creativity. They can highlight an inability to receive pleasure that can result in a sense of self punishment and guilt. If your symptom is affecting your reproductive system, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?

WHAT’S THE ANTIDOTE?

So after identifying the location and corresponding metaphysical aspects of your symptom, sometimes the awareness itself can bring about a natural healing, at other times, unpacking your newfound insights with a qualified therapist can assist with addressing the emotional component of your symptom. Further intervention may still be required such as seeking the advice of a health practitioner, talking a course of supplementation or medication if required, making adjustments to your diet or implementing a new physical regimen.

Sometimes the antidote is reducing stress, quitting a negative relationship, learning different ways to express yourself, building in relaxation or meditative processes to your life, reducing screen time or getting out into nature more. Learning emotional tools to assist in dealing with negative emotions or traumas can also be the required antidote. Gaining some teaching on how to release fear, anger, grief or shame can be vital to restoring emotional balance, that then allows for your natural states of healing, love, peace and joy to emerge.

All the best with your health and wellness

Chrissy Diamond

Holistic Alignment offers a variety of treatments to suit your unique needs. Our Practitioners Chrissy Diamond and Lorelei Messersmith will be happy to discuss any questions you may have regarding your treatment to assist in putting you at ease. Contact Chrissy to book your first Holistic Alignment.

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The Flaw with the Law of Attraction. At the beginning of each new year we often resolve to change aspects about ourselves that we’d like to improve. All too often, as soon as we slip back into our routines, those annoying old habits resurface again. I recently read a gem of a book called “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself” written by Dr Joe Dispenza. The book discusses the neurophysiology associated with those outdated habits/patterns that we want to change. It also gives a very specific guide to actually creating the changes that we dearly want. Part of this guide highlights an important aspect of the LAW OF ATTRACTION that is often overlooked.

Firstly, let me explain the basic premise of the law of attraction. This law essentially states that whatever we think, feel and do, subconsciously, creates what we experience in life.

DR JOE DISPENZA

According to findings in neuroscience, our subconscious mind controls 95% of our thoughts, feelings and actions. Dr Dispenza explains that only 5% of these behaviours are controlled by our conscious mind. This means that most of us are thinking, feeling and acting out of subconscious patterns that we aren’t aware of.

These subconscious patterns are formed from historical experiences that have become embedded within us. They become embedded through memories that we’ve played over and over in our minds. This repetition creates automatic responses in our minds and bodies, that we are no longer aware of.

SUBCONSCIOUS PATTERNS

These automatic responses have several components:

Thought processes: judgements, assumptions and decisions we made about ourselves and our environment.

Feelings/Emotions: a felt emotion triggered by the thoughts e.g. fear, grief, anger, shame.

Physical response: biochemical changes resulting in a variety of physical reactions. E.g. contracted muscles causing tension/pain, sleeplessness, anxiety, nausea, digestive issues, lowered immune system leading to physical illnesses etc.

Behavioural response: E.g. over-drinking, over-eating, drug-dependencies, violence, reclusiveness, overspending, irresponsibility, self-pity, OCD. Or snapping at partner/kids, being overly critical, competitive, controlling – etc.

AUTOMATIC RESPONSES

These thoughts, feelings and physical responses have been so well memorised by us, that they then become subconscious. An example of this given by Dr Dispenza is getting into your car and driving from “A to B”. Upon arriving at “B”, you have no recollection of the journey. You’ve taken the journey so many times before you no longer have to think about it. It is now simply an automatic/subconscious memorised behaviour.

So, as Dr Dispenza instructs: we can create our experiences by default, assuming a powerless state of ignorance about our own negative patterns. In doing so, let our subconscious automatic thoughts, feelings and actions run the show, resulting in a haphazard, luck of the draw kind of life. Or we can  create our thoughts, feelings and experiences consciously and deliberately. This is achieved by accessing our mysterious subconscious mind and changing our negative internalised programs to ones that serve us. This uses the law of attraction to our benefit.

CREATE DELIBERATELY OR BY DEFAULT

Coming back to Holistic Alignment’s musings about THE FLAW WITH THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

(Well it’s actually a flaw with a misperception regarding the Law of Attraction).

Many readings and teachings on the Law of attraction emphasise focusing our thoughts, words, feelings and behaviours on the positive e.g. what we DO want. However is fails to acknowledge the negative, what we  DON’T want to create.

THE FLAW with this perception is that it can disguise the problem with false positivity. Colouring everything positive is not only inauthentic, it also ignores and distracts us from the very thing that we want to change. This makes the problem less conscious to us which is exactly what allows it to continue.

I was surprised to read Dr Dispenza’s instruction for changing our habitual patterns begins by identifying and memorising what the individual DOES NOT WANT! This vital step is often omitted from teachings on the LAW OF ATTRACTION.

ALERTING THE CONSCIOUS MIND

It dawned on me that the reason for identifying and memorizing the negative state is for the purpose of alerting the CONSCIOUS MIND. The subconscious mind needs the CONSCIOUS MIND to wake it up from its trance-like slumber of automatic thoughts, feelings and behaviors. They’re automatic because we don’t realize what we’re doing until we’re already acting out the same old pattern. Just like the example of the journey of driving from “A to B”, this is why the negative pattern cannot be bypassed by the conscious mind.

GIVING YOURSELF AN UPDATE

This bypassing of the conscious mind is why, despite focusing on positively framed thoughts, beliefs, intentions etc…it’s still easy to get tripped up by that old bad habit. Before you know it, self doubt creeps back in and it feels so impossible to change. It feels easier to just identify with that limited older version of ourselves as who we really are. What we fail to recognise, is that limited version of ourselves is just an older generation model of us. That model is based upon old neural networks that we keep acting out time and time again despite our best of intentions to be different. If any of this is sounding familiar to you, then perhaps it’s time to give yourself an update.

So, speaking from personal application of Dr Dispenza’s teachings, by identifying and memorizing the negative thing that I want to change, I can bring it into my conscious mind. Then, it takes a good level of self-honestly to acknowledge all of the ways those negative patterns play out.

An example could be:

Thought: No one understands me

Feeling: fear, anger or sadness

Physical response: breathlessness, abdominal tension, feeling tired and lackluster

Behaviour: Sighing, speaking sharply or rudely, isolating self by either pushing people away with abrasiveness or retreating and sulking, being overly controlling, critical or judging of others, crying, numbing the feelings through drinking alcohol or overeating

CHANGING THE PATTERN

By memorising those various negative patterns, whatever they may be for you, You can catch yourself the very moment you start thinking, feeling, or behaving in any of those familiar old ways. In doing so, you interrupt your own automatic behaviour. Once the pattern is interrupted, you can then employ the change techniques taught by Dr Dispenza.

Repeating this process through moment to moment awareness, has allowed me to begin to disrupt those old automatic habits. I can then activate the memorised thoughts, feelings, physical responses and behaviours that I WANT to experience. I am now observing this process play out in real time, having deliberate experiences that are allowing me to emerge into a better version of myself.

HOPE

When all else fails, including us, and we fail despite the best of our intentions, hope can be a sustaining force. Hope gives us the ability to try again and again…and again,  to be the best version of ourselves in any given moment, and why settle for anything less?

Tomorrow is a new day and we’ve just started a new year so wishing you all the very best for becoming all that you can be in 2019!

CHRISSY DIAMOND

Holistic Alignment offers a variety of treatments to suit your unique needs. Our Practitioners Chrissy Diamond and Lorelei Messersmith will be happy to discuss any questions you may have regarding your treatment to assist in putting you at ease. Contact Chrissy to book your first Holistic Alignment.

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