Holistic Health Articles - Articles By: Camille Strate

Holistic Health Articles - Articles By: Camille StrateCamille Strate's articles from Holistic Health Articleshttp://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:13:11 EDTHolisticHealthArticles.com Perfect Flaws http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/9732/288/Perfect-Flaws.html
There are few things more satisfying to this writer than getting comments from readers who express gratitude for my offerings I'm NOT kidding It's such a joy to hear from people who have been inspired by my meanderings, and to know that in some small way I'm actually helping It's SUCH a thrill

Just this morning, as I was making my morning brew, I got to thinking about this new day and what I could to do to insure that I leave a mark In other words, what can I do TODAY that will enhance someone's life, even if it's merely to bring a smile or nudge them over a hump What can I do to lend some hope? What can I do to encourage someone, ANYONE, to trust their wings and fly?

Before I go further, let me first say that I'm no Mother Theresa I'm not a saint or some kind of selfless angel In fact, it's taken me years to find the balance between 'selfless' and 'selfish' I happen to believe that we need to be selfish sometimes It's a matter of taking care of who you are so you CAN help people I'm still learning There are certainly times when that balance is skewed and I don't necessarily do what might be considered 'best' for someone else But then I'm human I don't beat myself up over that kind of stuff I am who I am and I make no apologies for my shortcomings

That being said, I do feel that it's one of life's greatest pleasures to help people and see the results of that effort Whether it's writing a post or sending a card or letting someone scooch in front of me in the grocery line, all those things give me a sense of my humanity I like that part I also like when someone, like the woman who sent that lovely message, writes to say thanks Makes me grin from ear to ear and do my little happy dance What can I say? I'm pretty easy to please

Anyway, so there I was thinking about my day and what to do with it (besides work on my next book, which seems to be taunting me these days) and doing my best to think outside the ol' proverbial box I don't guess I have to tell you about boxes, huh? We all get stuck in them sometimes, whether it is laziness or merely a lack of energy, it's not uncommon to fall into that dull, boring repetition of "just another day" The thing is, it's equally easy to get OUT of said rut All it really takes is awareness Just noticing you're there is about as much oomph as you need to get outta there Not hard Just mindful So

I read the message and that led me to take an inventory of what I'd done thus far this month; what have I offered to help? What kind of difference have I made? Not just in the lives of others, but in my own life? Have I done anything that might have made life better for them and/or for me?

The answer is: yes Yes I have As much as that may sound egotistical, please know that is NOT where I'm coming from Taking an inventory (so to speak) is essential to gratitude How can you be grateful if you don't know what you have? Not just in material possession, but in spirit as well What do you HAVE and what can you give? Because it all boils down to this:

We are here to live the best life we can live We are NOT here to struggle, fight, resist, ail, grieve, worry, etc , etc , ad nauseam We are here to live joy-filled, exquisite lives and let that joy ripple out into the world The happier WE are, the more we can spread that happiness Same goes (alas!) with misery You know that adage, "misery loves company"? Well, sadly, it's true But so does HAPPINESS (love company) Think about it When something awesome happens in your world, don't you want to tell someone? Don't you want someone else there to celebrate your triumph? Isn't it so much more fun to share the good news than to keep it to yourself?

See what I mean? So, just because I'm not Mother Theresa doesn't mean I don't have a great desire to help And just because I have my own character flaws, doesn't mean I don't have character assets I do And so do YOU We all have character assets that can be of great help to the world The trick is to pay more attention to the assets than the flaws Something that may be a bit more challenging for some folks It's almost a social programming We're so bombarded with all the "perfect" people (you know the models and Hollywood beauties that are shoved down our throats 24/7) it's almost impossible to see ourselves without noting our flaws But you know something? Even the most 'beautiful' people who are delivered to us in all their paint-brushed glory have doubts, fears, insecurities and things they dislike about themselves Don't for a second think that the perfection we 'see' is real It is NOT WE are real WE are human (well, at least we're having a 'human experience' at this point but that's another thought for another day) WE are perfectly flawed Yep I said it: PERFECTLY FLAWED And that, my friends, is what makes the world such a beautiful place to explore It is in our imperfections that we will find our diamonds Those are the things that make a difference in our lives and the lives of others

So then the next time you think you don't have anything to offer the world, think again You have some special thing about who you are that makes your presence here on Planet Earth a most remarkable thing Look for it Honor it Use it Because, as my friend Terri is always reminding me:

YOU MATTER

Camille Olivia Strate is a blossoming Being who spends much of her time writing, romping with critters and occasionally crafting treasures from wood. Her latest book, 'Whispers ~ The Often Subtle Sometimes Rowdy Voice Of Truth' is now available in paperback and eBook format. To order you copy, please contact Camille. It is also now available at Amazon.com! (how thrilling!)
Camille's Website

Note from Richard Rutherford - the owner of this site:
I have read 'Whispers' and can thoroughly recommend it. It's difficult to imagine that anyone could read through it and not feel better about life afterwards (in case you were wondering, I have no financial involvment with the book). ]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/6407/401/The-Baby-Boomers-What-s-Next-for-Our-Generation.html Joint Pain Treatment Arthritis of Angry Bones http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/6271/272/Joint-Pain-Treatment-Arthritis-of-Angry-Bones.html
There are millions of people who suffer from joint pain Statistics are also revealing that it's no longer limited to the elderly Children as young as 6 and 7 years of age are complaining of aching bones, something that is horribly disturbing Top that with the fact that the medical community can't seem to figure out how or why it's happening, and you've got a recipe for impending disaster How can it be that joint pain treatment is so low on the list of priorities?

More and more I hear people speak of their own experiences with such maladies Each time I do, I wonder if they're fully aware of just how much they're contributing to this pain Just recently, while at a large gathering, a woman walked up to introduce herself She'd been told 'who' I was by a mutual friend and wanted to meet me The moment she walked up to me she said, "Hi I'm Norma I hear you have arthritis too "

I was a little shocked by such an 'opening' remark I turned to face this woman, looked in her eyes and saw that she was looking for a bond One that would somehow ease her own pain As gently as I could, I said, "I don't have arthritis My bones are just angry with me right now "

Every person who was within ear-reach turned to look at me Most of them had looks of amazement on their faces A few others, including the woman who'd approached me, had another look: surprise I suppose they'd never heard anyone use this sort of 'attitude' about a malady In a few moments, laughter filled the room and someone said, "that's BRILLIANT!"

At this point all eyes were on me I could tell they were waiting for elaboration I began to share my thoughts on the words we use and how they affect our bodies I told them that when we say things like "I have arthritis I have cancer I have chronic pain " we are taking ownership of something that we are NOT And this is NOT the way to releasing said maladies When we do this, when we say "I have ", we are growing whatever it is we "have" Same as when we say "I am "

I have had my own experiences with joint pain for long enough to know that while there may not be much the 'doctors' can do, there are things WE can do to rid ourselves of such things One of those methods is to have a little 'chat' with your body As silly as that may sound, it's really quite effective Think about it If you walk around all day saying you're tired, then you stay tired all day long If, on the other hand, you say "I'm well rested and ready to rock!", even if you're feeling tired you'll soon NOT be feeling tired Why? Because your body absolutely responds to your thoughts If you don't believe this, try it for yourself

The point is, I have come to find that joint pain, or any other pain for that matter, is a result of some imbalance (as are most dis-eases) If you ask your joints what they want or need or are trying to tell you, you may find some very profound answers resonating through your head If you will listen, and heed those messages, you may just find that you are fully capable of releasing your dis-ease and moving back to full wellness

I do realize that there are those who may prefer the 'quick fix' They want the pain to stop, and they want it to stop NOW I understand I've been there too But the flip-side of that immediate gratification (or ease) is that it doesn't last Next thing you know, you're popping pain meds all day long, every day What kind of way is that to live?

Quieting your mind, silencing that monkey chatter that nags at you all day, and getting into a place of stillness is one of the very best things you can do for your body, for your mind, for your heart It is in this place of quiet that the larger part of who you are will relay it's needs It will tell you precisely what It needs to release this imbalance and allow your body to heal itself And yes, your body is fully capable of doing just that Your cells know what to do Your job is to let them Stop resisting and listen

Yes It works Choose your words mindfully Stop 'owning' these diagnoses you've been given Treat yourself with as much love and kindness as you would a child Be patient Be aware BE LOVE

Joint pain can be treated without medication And the very best treatment is to love your SELF

Camille Olivia Strate is a blossoming Being who spends much of her time writing, romping with critters and occasionally crafting treasures from wood. Her latest book, 'Whispers ~ The Often Subtle Sometimes Rowdy Voice Of Truth' is now available in paperback and eBook format. To order you copy, please contact Camille. It is also now available at Amazon.com! (how thrilling!)
Camille's Website

Note from Richard Rutherford - the owner of this site:
I have read 'Whispers' and can thoroughly recommend it. It's difficult to imagine that anyone could read through it and not feel better about life afterwards (in case you were wondering, I have no financial involvment with the book). ]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/5929/277/What-s-In-A-Flu-Shot.html Buddhist Chants How Does This Work http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/5576/300/Buddhist-Chants-How-Does-This-Work.html
Before I begin this little meandering, I'd like to offer up a bit of a "disclaimer" That is to say, this is a commentary and a 'posing of a question' There are no answers here, so if you're intent of finding answers, this probably isn't the piece you're looking for However, it has been my experience that often times it is the posing of the 'right' questions that bring us to the answers we seek In other words, if you don't ask the right questions, you're bound to get the wrong answers, or none at all To that end, it is my intention to pose some questions so that we may prompt the answers we're looking for I hope my own curiosity may help you along your path

Okay now that I've got that part out of the way, let's move on, shall we?

Being the curious Being that I am, I've spent the better portion of my life looking for and trying to understand the whole concept of 'spirituality' Not religion Spirituality I was reared in the very loving arms of my very devoutly Roman Catholic mother She loved her God and she wanted us to know that love I was even enrolled in Catholic school until the 5th grade, when the school went to hell-in-a-handbag (as my Dad used to say) and they pulled me out and enrolled me in public school This did not, however, mean that I wasn't required to attend church with my mother every Sunday I was (required to attend) And I went because I had no choice I was a child and not allowed to speak my mind about such 'important' things But I do remember, even at that young age, that it always felt 'off' to me There was something about the teachings that felt innately wrong; I was always nauseous by the time the Sunday service was over A very large indication of a very sensitive, intuitive child's inner knowing

By the time I was 12, I'd had enough One Sunday, right in the middle of the sermon, I got up and walked out My mother was enraged But there wasn't much she could do since her choices were to raise her voice (no way!), walk out after me (double no way!) or just let me walk out (what else could she do???) I went out to the front of the church and sat in a shady spot on the stairs under a tree There I sat until the mass was over and my now-furious mother was stomping her way toward me The first thing she said was, "Get in the car right now, young lady " Of course she said it quietly She wasn't going to let her ire show right there on the church steps Heaven forbid!

To my surprise, the conversation that ensued was not only civilized, it was a conversation that 'grown-ups' would have She didn't badger or belittle me She just started asking a LOT of questions I can still remember how amazed I was by this She wasn't scolding me, she was frightened and needed to know if her daughter's soul was being stolen by the devil Bless her heart

After that little chat, she agreed that she would take me to the beach (weather permitting) each week before she went to her mass There I could pray to 'my god' until she returned to pick me up To this day, I'm quite certain she never told a soul about our 'arrangement' It was our little secret and she was happy to know that I wasn't being eaten by the devil's evil Apparently, that was enough for her

After high school, I left home to explore my world Part of that exploration was about learning other religions I was so amazed by how many people there were (are) who bought the stories hook, line and sinker, with nary a thought about whether or not they were valid, true or even remotely connected to god It simply made no sense to me Not because I didn't believe in some 'higher power' But because the whole idea of some god who would 'smite you' if you screwed up just seemed silly I mean, if this god is "all knowing, all powerful, all loving", why in the world would it wreak such havoc on it's children? Sounded more like some spoiled brat of a bully to me No thanks

So I spent a great many years studying the various religious tenets, always ending up in the same spot: it just didn't feel right to me Not any of it So maybe my discomfort was about 'religion', not about spirituality So what was the difference How could some people can find this place of peace without going to church? How could these same people seem to emote this beautiful light everywhere they went, yet not to be 'religious'? The more I learned, the more questions I had

To say that I've dabbled in mountains of spiritual practices is an understatement I've tried all sorts of different things along the way, and each time I moved on to the next, I simply took what felt right and left the rest behind Little by little, I gathered my own practices; not those that are necessarily of one particular belief, but rather, of many The latest of those little treasures is the practice of chanting

Now, to be fair, I must tell you it's quite new For me, that is It isn't something I've been doing for any length of time, which is why I am compelled to write this in the first place Here's why:

For as long as I resisted this practice (and it was a long, long time), I am simply astounded at how quickly I've felt and seen the changes in my world I'm talking days here In a few short days, by simply chanting twice daily, every single thing in my world seems to have shifted Where there were malicious intentions and angry words, there are now soft words and a falling away of that malice Where there was fear and anger, there is nothing but a calm that rings of acceptance Where there was ICK there is AHHHH And I'm not exaggerating either It's so obvious, that even people who have no idea I've begun this practice have noticed it when they come through the front door, or when they see my face (For the record, the malice, anger, etc were coming from someone else, not from me Or so I thought Nearly every person I've encountered since I began has commented on this 'change'

Is it just me? Is it that because I've allowed myself to enter this altered state by mere virtue of sound that I have, indeed, tapped into a direct line to Source? Or to my own Higher Self? Or to what has been called "god" (and what I have avoided at all costs?!)

I don't know the answers to any of this (Hence the first 'disclaimer') But what I do know is that something has shifted Something very big and powerful has floated seamlessly into my world And its affects are so profound, it's impossible for me not to notice Now to continue onward and see where this leads me

Close your eyes, put your hands on your belly And BREATHE

It's called Manipura, or the Solar Plexus chakra Key issues governed by Manipura are issues of personal power, fear, anxiety, opinion-formation, introversion, and transition from simple or base emotions to complex Physically, Manipura governs digestion, mentally it governs personal power, emotionally it governs expansiveness, and spiritually, all matters of growth By focusing on this chakra, and breathing deeply through it, you will find all manner of calm wash over you You'll alleviate those false fears and return to a place of connection to YOUR Source You'll find, in a very short time, that all the world falls away and you can once again make your way to the Joy that is your birthright And, before you know it, you'll be laughing your ass off

Sound hokey? Maybe But ya never know til you give it a whirl

Camille Olivia Strate is a blossoming Being who spends much of her time writing, romping with critters and occasionally crafting treasures from wood. Her latest book, 'Whispers ~ The Often Subtle Sometimes Rowdy Voice Of Truth' is now available in paperback and eBook format. To order you copy, please contact Camille. It is also now available at Amazon.com! (how thrilling!)
Camille's Website

Note from Richard Rutherford - the owner of this site:
I have read 'Whispers' and can thoroughly recommend it. It's difficult to imagine that anyone could read through it and not feel better about life afterwards (in case you were wondering, I have no financial involvment with the book). ]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/5510/288/The-Power-of-Laughter-And-It-s-Healing-Grace.html Empowering Leadership How NOT To Enable http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/5470/288/Empowering-Leadership-How-NOT-To-Enable.html
Regardless of our chosen field, or the manner in which we use your gifts, most of us have come across people in our lives who absolutely refuse to take responsibility for their actions, their situations, their own lives It could be a family member, a dear friend, a co-worker, even a spouse These are the people we may care most about, yet, even if we're the very best at what we do, there's no amount of "try" that will change a thing You know it I know it Sadly, they do not

It is, perhaps, one of the most frustrating things to encounter, especially if you've made your own great strides in becoming more of who you are When we've come through our own storms and seen, from the other side of that storm, just what we accomplished, exactly how much "more" we are now than we were before the storm, it can be very challenging indeed to keep one's mouth shut It can be the greatest challenge of all when we see how much pain someone we love is in, and not have a stitch of power to do anything about it The very best we can do is hold a vision in our own minds of that person well and happy Beyond that, it's all up to them

As someone who has managed to ride out a host of her own storms, it's much easier for me to see that it's not my job It's not my job to pull someone out of the wreckage, particularly if they want to be there No amount of wisdom, kindness, patience, love, tolerance, etc is going to change their mind Because, the bottom line is: they're there because they want to be

Sad But oh-so-true

It has become equally apparent to me that the worst thing I can do in such situations is to enable Another very slippery slope Enabling comes in so many forms, often we don't even realize we're doing it at all We want to help We want to see their suffering end We want to hand over all the tools we've gathered along the way, in an effort to ease their struggle We want to see them happy Every time they come to us, with their sad, sad story, telling us about their pain and how we just "don't understand", we want to shout "OH YES I DO!" All for naught They're not going to hear any of it Why? Because they want to be where they are If they didn't, they wouldn't be there

Sound harsh? Probably Is it truth? Yes It is

Sometimes we may even apply the 'tough love' method We may offer up all we have and then say, "You know what? When you're ready, give me a shout I'll help in any way I can Until then, you're on your own Gotta go See ya, bye " And then disappear Don't call back after that long-winded message or that horribly pitiful email Don't answer the phone at 3 a m when they call you drunk and sobbing Don't respond in any way whatsoever Just leave them be to weather that storm on their own Tough love? You betcha Does it work? Sometimes

Other times, not so much Other times they show up again, sometimes after years have passed, and they're right where you left them Sobbing and drunk and whining about how god doesn't love them Nobody loves them They're not worthy of love They're hopeless They're stupid They're BLAH BLAH BLAH, ad nauseam Holy Buckets! Can it be that this person has spent the past 2 years wallowing in that pity party and is still 'alive'?

Yes It can be And often times, the reason they're knocking at your door is because everyone else has abandoned the cause and they've nowhere else to go What to do now?

Back when I believed I could fix anyone, when I had my own god complex, I would spend hours and days and years on such 'projects' I was convinced that my wisdom, along with my love, could save them I was convinced that if I tried hard enough I'd be able to show them just how worthy they were I was utterly blinded by my own Ego's pride, unable to see that all I was doing was keeping them from learning how to find their way As the saying goes: you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink One of the truest adages I've ever heard

What to do?

Nothing

Remember that the only way for anyone to grow is to let them Remember that you are not their god Remember that their path is their own and they must walk it alone You may be able to meet them along the way, at various cross roads, to encourage them to keep going To give them a dose of love and a big ol' hug To give them a smile as they continue on Other than that, it is not your job to save them Truth is, you can't save them Why would you want to? Do you not think it would retard their growth? Do you not think it would, in the long run, force them to revisit this place? Do you not think that your own passage through the storm made you who you are now?

In the Tao Te Ching, there is a passage that says (in essence) 'no storm can last forever' (yes, that's the short version, but you get the drift) And it's true Even the most furious hurricane or the most devastating tsunami can only last for so long And then it wears itself out and disappears Eventually What makes us think that the same does not hold true for us? What storm can last forever?

Me thinks it is a very good practice to let people sail their own ship To allow them the freedom to experience what they need to experience To hold them closely in our hearts, but let them sail on their own Because every time we intrude, we're just joining that pity party And we're not doing them a bit of good when we do Let them be Let them grow Let them learn about their own power Otherwise, all you're doing is prolonging the inevitable How can that be 'good'?